2016 is shaping up to be another exciting year for the Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) in continuing its delivery of Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) to working Pacific Islanders.

APTC is an innovative development program funded by the Australian Government. APTC delivers a wide range of technical and vocational courses to increase the supply of skilled, competitive and productive workers in targeted sectors across the Pacific region.

With semester one classes well underway, students can expect a healthy and interactive practical learning environment for TVET delivery from APTC’s campuses in Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea. 

Successful student orientation events were held at the campuses on 18 and 19 January, to provide students with the opportunity to meet APTC trainers and administrative staff, and learn more about the competency-based training assessment methods which underpin all Australian qualifications. Students were also briefed about the APTC history, rules, and code of conduct and were made aware of health and wellness including HIV/AIDS and campus living.

APTC campuses' training is current and relevant to industry needs and is supported by the APTC to Work program which enhances the career-seeking goals of students. Work placements for students is also included in many of the courses.

APTC Vanuatu Country Manager, Mr Nick Crosling says that the objective is to provide a training environment and APTC qualification that gives a solid platform that will critically assist graduates with improved employment outcomes at home and abroad. This, he added, will in turn increase economic growth at individual, community and national levels.

Courses being delivered from Vanuatu include Tourism, Hospitality, Youth Work, Early Childhood Education and Care to 82 students.

APTC’s Fiji Campus, which has 224 students training in 11 different courses, has introduced two courses: Certificate in IV Disability, and Certificate III in Individual Support, which is a transition from the previous Certificate III in Aged Care/Home and Community Care. 

APTC Fiji Country Manager, Mr Jonathan Todd assured incoming students that APTC staff are always at hand to help them with any form of support to ensure they will achieve the very best during their training.

There are 113 students at the Samoa campus studying Commercial Cookery, Hospitality, Plumbing, and Metal Fabrication and Welding. For the first time, Certificate IV in Youth Work is being offered to 20 youth workers from Samoa. 

APTC Samoa Country Manager, Ms Patricia Vella, and Solomon Islands Country Manager, Ms Pamela Morgan, have both advised students at their campuses to make the best use of resources and support provided by APTC during their training.

The APTC Solomon Islands Campus is delivering two courses this semester, with 16 local students training in Carpentry, and 25 training in Early Childhood Education.

At APTC’s Papua New Guinea Campus, 184 students are undertaking training in Commercial Cookery, Hospitality, Carpentry, Fabrication Trade, Electro technology and Mechanical Trade. 

These enrolments are an optimistic start for the year, contributing to the growing pool of TVET graduates in the Pacific. APTC is looking forward to engaging with employers, industry partners and Pacific governments in the delivery of internationally-recognised Australian standard qualifications.