Govt starts survey to understand skills and training needs of the country

A Training and Skill Needs Analysis Survey 2023 has started that aims to identify priority areas of training and skill needs for human capital planning and development in Fiji.

Ministry of Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics through the Strategic Planning Office has undertaken the survey.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad says Fiji is currently experiencing a wave of skill shortage and skills gap in key areas such as construction, nursing and specialist fields like telecommunication engineers, and aviation safety regulators among others, which is critical for economic growth and nation building.

He says in the first nine months of this year, more than 12,000 people have left Fiji for employment reasons, while more than 2,400 have emigrated.

Professor Prasad says this excludes residents going on student visas, which has picked up significantly.

He says Fiji has also been calling for visa-free travel between Australia as well as New Zealand and Pacific Island States as part of efforts to ease the travel process further.

The Deputy Prime Minister says in 2022, 16,967 people left Fiji for employment reasons while 5,335 have emigrated.

Professor Prasad says this analysis is not just a mechanism of collecting data, it is a strategic tool to empower them all to understand the current landscapes of skills and training needs of the country.

He says by participating in the survey, employers, ministries, CSO’s and universities will contribute towards comprehensive understanding of the skills that are in demand, the gaps that needs to be addressed and opportunities that lie ahead for the nation.

The Deputy Prime Minister says insights gathered from the survey will guide the government’s policies and initiatives, ensuring that the education, training and other related projects are aligned to the needs of the sector.

He adds the findings from the survey will shape Fiji’s 5-Year National Human Resource Plan and also the new National Development Plan.

Permanent Secretary for Finance Shiri Gounder says through a collaborative approach, the Ministry encourages both private and public sector to participate in the Training and Skill Needs Analysis Survey 2023.

He has assured that shared experience, needs and feedback matter in enabling government to develop and implement relevant and sustainable policies to develop the Fiji’s workforce.

Gounder adds together, they can bridge the skills gap between the education and the industry by equipping the labour force with required skills for the labour market.