Fiji has lost about 3 percent of its population permanently to developed countries and the numbers continue to rise because of labour pull factors.
Minister for Education Aseri Radrodro highlighted this during the discussions with the People's Republic of China for funding vocational scholarships.
He addressed the ongoing challenges within Fiji’s labor market, particularly the loss of skilled workers to countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada.
Radrodro says as the Government works to address these workforce challenges, competing national priorities make it difficult to self-invest adequately in developing the skilled workforce Fiji needs.
He says according to 2019 Bureau of Statistics data, 64 percent of jobs in Fiji are within the TVET sector, however, the local training institutions, struggles to provide up-to-date training, resources and infrastructure in certain programmes to meet evolving industry needs.
The Minister hopes that the Chinese Government will offer vocational scholarships for Fijian students to get trained in China in fields such as solar and renewable energy engineering, plant engineering, automotive electronics, telecommunications, aquaculture, and agricultural engineering.
These scholarships would be managed by both countries, with Tertiary Scholarships and Loans Service overseeing the selection and bonding process to ensure graduates return to work in Fiji.
Radrodro adds the plan includes sending 50 students each year for three years, with a total of 150 students benefiting from this partnership.
Chinese Ambassador, Zhou Jian says that the request is looking positive.
If the bilateral partnership is approved, TSLS will work with selected Chinese training institutions, with a possible visit to ensure they meet Fijian workforce needs.
This initiative will be included in Fiji's 2025-2026 national budget, introducing a new scholarship scheme, supported by the Chinese government.
The meeting was attended by His Excellency Ambassador Zhou Jian, along with key people from the TSLS, Chairperson Ro Teimumu Kepa and CEO Dr. Hasmukh Lal.
