Australian Government assists Northern vocational School

14 October 2011

Students of the Northern Christian Training Centre (NCTC), a vocational training institution in the Northern division, now have a new multipurpose classroom, thanks to funding provided by the Australian High Commission’s Direct Aid Program (DAP).

The Acting Australian High Commissioner, Ms Judith Robinson, recently handed over the newly built multipurpose classroom to the school. DAP had provide more than $18,000 worth of funding for the project.

At the recent handover ceremony, Ms Robinson said Australia supported the development and improvement of technical and vocational education and training institutions. She congratulated the students on the excellent standard of their work in building the classroom.

Ms Robinson said vocational training was especially important for developing countries like Fiji, given the small local employment prospects for rapidly expanding youth populations”.

Ms Male, the founding Principal of NCTC, was grateful to the Australian Government for the funding and said the multipurpose classroom will be used to provide skills training for the unemployed young people who are enrolled at the school. Ms Male added that the project has been a success, as vocational students have gained new skills through their work on the construction of the building.

Ms Marion Male, said the school has provided vocational training in carpentry, agriculture, micro business, animal husbandry and mechanics, to hundreds of young people in the North and those from as far as Samoa and Solomon Islands since 1999.

DAP is a small grants program funded by the Australian Government that aims to support small-scale projects with a strong development focus, in complement to Australia’s broader aid program.

Since July 2010, the Direct Aid Program has contributed over $350,000 to 48 projects in Fiji for schools, community groups and Non Government Organisations across Fiji.