On Thursday, 1 December, 37 employees of the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) Labasa Sugar Mill graduated from the Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) in Labasa with qualifications in six different courses.
This was the third cohort of graduates who have completed their studies in internationally recognised Australian courses under the European Union (EU) funded Training Support to the Fiji Sugarcane Industry project implemented by the APTC.
The project focuses on providing a training program that improves the livelihoods of sugarcane-dependent populations by promoting income generation through sugarcane farming or alternative livelihoods.
The European Union Ambassador to Fiji and the Pacific, Andrew Jacobs, said: "I congratulate the 37 graduates from the Fiji Sugar Corporation. This is another milestone of the EU-APTC partnership, of which we should be proud. With each new cohort of graduates, the milling capacity of the sugarcane industry is being strengthened.''
Of the total graduates, 18 graduated with Certificate III-level qualifications in the trades, including Fabrication, Electrotechnology, Diesel Fitting, and Fitting and Machining. In contrast, 19 graduated in business courses in Certificate IV in Frontline Management and Certificate IV in Project Management Practice.
The keynote speaker at the graduation, FSC Labasa Sugar Mill General Manager Mr Karia Christopher, acknowledged the EU's pivotal role in supporting continuous improvement in the Fiji sugarcane industry.
He added that the students' benefits from the Training Support to the Fiji Sugarcane Industry project include receiving an internationally recognised qualification and gaining up-to-date knowledge and skills that would enable them to improve their productivity and efficiency in the workplace and share skills and knowledge with other colleagues.
Mr Christopher encouraged graduates to assertively use the skills and knowledge they have gained from their training and to be “agents of constructive change within the sugar industry and work towards building a better nation.”
Australian High Commission representative, Ms Tina Seniloli, congratulated the graduates on their achievements.
“I am pleased that the Australian Government and the EU, through our support for APTC, have played an important role in these graduates’ achievements. I am confident they will have many opportunities to use their new skills and knowledge to create positive changes and enrich their communities,” said Ms Seniloli.
When the Delegated Cooperation with the EU was signed in 2013, the Australian Government engaged APTC to deliver Fiji Sugarcane Industry project training.
The graduation ceremony was attended by guests from the Australian High Commission, EU Programme Coordination Unit, APTC staff, employers, and industry stakeholders.
