The Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) in collaboration with the Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) is delivering training to 22 Fijian women through the Certificate IV in New Small Business program.

The participants, who come from across Fiji, are pioneer students of the innovative program, which commenced in April. The program aims to develop the skills and knowledge of female entrepreneurs, supporting them to take their businesses to greater heights.

The women participating in the program have entrepreneurial experience in diverse businesses including floristry, tour operations, gold buying, online sales, commercial and residential painting, and childcare. 

“APTC is proud to support women through this course, which is a great opportunity to help develop the confidence of women engaging in entrepreneurship and provide them with a platform to share innovative ideas,” said APTC Chief Executive Officer, Ms Denise O’Brien. 

Through the support of the Australian Government, APTC has graduated over 10,000 Pacific Island citizens. Of these, over 4200 have been women.

The Certificate IV in New Small Business program is supported by ABV, which provides mentors who are working closely with the participants, providing them with regular customised advice on specific business and organisational needs.

“Mentoring is the key to spurring entrepreneurialism. All of the ABV mentors supporting this program come from our registry of senior business professionals and small business owners,” said ABV’s CEO Ms Sarah O’Connor.  “They therefore have the experience to provide effective advice and to help the participants put the skills they are learning into practice.”

The training is delivered on a part-time basis through nine monthly workshops. During this time, participants will learn how to manage personal, family, cultural and business obligations, and establish legal and risk management requirements for their small businesses.

They will also learn how to plan and manage small business finances, best practices in promoting their businesses to customers and to effectively manage employees.

The training will be completed in November.