Australia-Pacific Technical College Fiji Launch
19 February 2008
Hexagon International Hotel, Martintar, Nadi
Remarks by HE Mr James Batley, Australian High Commissioner
Technical and Vocational Education and Training plays a key part in the contemporary labour market. The Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) is one of the most important ways in which Australia is supporting TVET development in the region.
What is the APTC?
The APTC was announced at the Pacific Islands Forum in October 2006.
Through the APTC, the Australian Government is providing an initial allocation of A$150m over four years with the aim of equipping 3,000 graduates from Fiji and other Pacific Island countries with Australian-standard qualifications in: tourism and hospitality; automotive, construction, electrical and manufacturing trades; and health and community services.
APTC training centres are co-located with partner institutions in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea to build on the strengths of existing education providers in the region. The partner institutions in Fiji, at this stage, are the Training and Productivity Authority of Fiji (TPAF) and Asco Motors.
The first intake of APTC trainees started at the School of Tourism and Hospitality in Vanuatu last year. Eleven trainees graduated in Vanuatu earlier this month with a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and are the first graduates to come out from the APTC.
In Fiji, Samoa and PNG classes have started for students in tourism and hospitality, automotive, construction and electrical and manufacturing. Courses in health and community services are anticipated to commence in the second half of 2008.
What does Australia hope to achieve through the APTC?
We are confident that the APTC will contribute to increased productivity and employment opportunities in Fiji, the Pacific region, and internationally.
Fiji graduates will contribute to the growth of Fiji’s economy, and will be more competitive in domestic and global skilled labour markets.
It is important to stress that College aims to complement and not compete with existing technical and vocational education providers in the Pacific.
The APTC will build upon the Pacific’s existing training systems. It will not duplicate training courses which are currently being offered; it will target existing workers and graduates from local training institutions, not school leavers.
It will thus be a “value adding” institution.
Local trainers will work with Australian trainers to deliver programs once they meet Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) accreditation requirements. Local training partners will benefit from working with the APTC in teacher training, staff exchange, resource sharing, and curriculum and instructional materials development.
The College has developed close links with Pacific Island governments, education and business leaders to ensure that it is offering training in the areas that are needed.
To ensure that APTC courses are accessible to a wide range of Pacific Islanders, including students from non-campus countries, poorer backgrounds and remote locations including small island states, scholarships worth A$10m in total will be available up to 2011 for around 2,000 students.
158 scholarships have already been awarded to students from the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Fiji, Tonga and Nauru to undertake studies at the APTC from January 2008.
Fiji was chosen to house the APTC Coordination Office because of its central location and its good communication links in the region. The Coordination Office is located at Concave Drive, Namaka, Nadi – about five minutes drive from Nadi International Airport.
By July this year, there will be 120 students from Fiji enrolled in tourism and hospitality; and automotive, construction, electrical and manufacturing courses. Similar numbers are anticipated for future intakes of students from Fiji.
With those words I am proud to launch the Fiji branch of the Australia Pacific Technical College, in the fervent hope and expectation that it will make a real contribution to the prospects of young people, and the future prosperity of Fiji.
Thank you.