It was a proud day for 98 Vanuatu citizens who graduated from the Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) after successfully completing their internationally-recognised Australian qualifications.
The graduation ceremony to celebrate the achievements of the new graduates was held in Port Vila on 18 October 2017.
The new graduates join more than 11,000 Pacific women and men from 14 Pacific Island countries who have graduated from APTC since it began in 2007.
In his keynote address, the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Honourable Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas commended the graduates for their hard work in advancing their careers through upskilling at APTC.
The Prime Minister congratulated APTC for achieving the 10-year milestone and, more importantly, for training Pacific men and women including 1653 Vanuatu citizens.
“APTC continues to provide opportunities for our women and men to gain internationally recognised qualifications. Over the last decade, over 1600 Vanuatu nationals have graduated from APTC, including over 900 women. I wish to thank the hardworking staff of APTC for their efforts in training our people.”
The graduating class included 18 pioneer students of APTC’s Certificate III in Educational Support, designed to upskill teaching aides and training assistants to support and boost inclusive education in Vanuatu.
The program supports the objective of the Ministry of Education and Training to mainstream inclusive education across all teaching service sectors by 2020.
Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Vanuatu, Susan Ryle, extended the best wishes of the Australian Government to the graduates and reflected on APTC 10-year anniversary.
“I’m proud that Vanuatu was the first campus to produce local and regional trainers. These professionals are role models for students and demonstrate what they can achieve.”
APTC’s collaboration with government and industry partners in developing the skills of Vanuatu nationals was also highlighted.
APTC continues to work closely with national TVET provider - Vanuatu Institute of Technology (VIT) - to provide training for hospitality and tourism students, through the Nambanga Training Restaurant based at the Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Training Centre.
The College has been providing Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to help national trainers in Vanuatu develop quality training delivery approach and skills that meet the requirements of the Vanuatu Qualifications Authority.
With support from the Australian Government, APTC is contributing towards the skills development of 18 emerging leaders from the Vanuatu Law and Justice sector through its Certificate IV in Leadership and Management program.
APTC delivers training through its five campus locations in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.