Man questions why scholarship places were removed for USP’s Pacific TAFE

A man has questioned why scholarship places were removed for USP’s Pacific Technical and Further Education (Pacific TAFE) for technical and vocational education and training programs.

This was asked during the Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board Key Stakeholders Awareness Workshop in Suva.

The man says 5,000 scholarship places were given for Fiji National University last year for TVET programs and asked why there is no equal distribution of scholarships for TVET programs in other universities.

TSLS CEO Hasmukh Lal says Government announced in the 2018/2019 National Budget that Pacific TAFE of USP will not be funded and at that time he was the CEO of the unit.

Lal says the government had a good rationale that they needed TVET to focus in areas of automotive, carpentry, joinery and other areas.

He says this is the whole reason why scholarship places are available at FNU as they provide all range of courses that is required by the industry in the area of trade.

Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says TVET is about the skill sets that are currently being offered by FNU.

He says through the National Budget, they will be extending this to Monfort Boys Town as they offer the courses they require.

Sayed-Khaiyum says Nadave Centre for Appropriate Technology and Development also offers this kind of courses while Pacific TAFE does not.