32% work permits were issued by Fiji Immigration Dept for technical and vocational jobs between 2018-2020

Information gathered from the Fiji Immigration Department shows 32% of work permits were issued for technical and vocational jobs between 2018 and 2020.

This was highlighted by the Minister for Education, Premila Kumar during the Technical and Vocational Education Training Pasifika Industry Launch at FNU’s Nasese Campus.

She says these jobs are from the construction, manufacturing, tourism and hospitality, automotive, fishing, information technology, food and beverages, mining and agriculture sectors.

Kumar says this shows we do not have adequate skilled people in many sectors which should be of great concern.

The Vice-Chancellor of the Fiji National University, Professor Toby Wilkinson says TVET enables young people and those already in workforce to develop skills, experience and competencies demanded by employers in a fast changing global economy.

Wilkinson says the National Budget for 2021-2022 financial year had two major announcements to support TVET which includes 5,000 new funded places for TVET courses at FNU through Tertiary Scholarships and Loans Service and an allocation of $1 million through the Re-skilling Fund to enable FNU to re-skill individuals who have lost jobs since the start of the pandemic.