On Wednesday 24 April, the Vanuatu Institute of Technology (VIT) and the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) organised a storian to jointly agree and shape a renewed APTC and VIT Partnership for 2019-2022.
The workshop gathered VIT and APTC staff, and key stakeholder representatives from the Australian High Commission, the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) and the Vanuatu Qualifications Authority (VQA).
“Vanuatu’s Post-School Education and Training Policy Objective 3, calls on all our training providers and relevant stakeholders to strengthen collaboration so we don’t duplicate resources and trainings,” MoET Director from the Tertiary Education Department (TED), Anne-Rose Tjiobang said.
APTC Country Director for Vanuatu and Nauru, Anna Naupa, acknowledged the long-standing relationship between APTC and VIT since 2007, which has enabled more than 2,000 graduates from across the Pacific to earn Australian standard qualifications at the Vanuatu campus.
“APTC works in coalition to improve skills across the workforce,” Ms Naupa said. “We remain committed toproviding international standard training here in the Pacific to meet priority labour market needs.”
CEO David Lambukly of the Vanuatu Qualifications Authority emphasised the importance of working within Vanuatu’s well-established policy frameworks, and highlighted the opportunity for all training providers to align closely to Vanuatu’s soon-to-be-released National Human Resources Development Plan.
VIT Principal, Jack Takalo, acknowledged the initiative taken to conduct such a workshop and hopes for a strengthened and more effective partnership with APTC and relevant stakeholders in the future.
“Let’s all work together to provide better service to our students and promote skills-based training in Vanuatu,” he said.
The workshop discussions will inform the contents of a new partnership agreement between VIT and APTC.