TOURISM SECTOR WORKERS SET TO BENEFIT FROM LAUNCH OF ONLINE COURSE

08/07/2020

About 1,500 Fijians who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the tourism industry will have an opportunity to learn new skills and enhance productivity with the launch of the “micro-credentials online course” this afternoon.
 
Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport Hon. Faiyaz Koya in launching the program said online education is likely to become permanent as more services like learning opportunities move online. 
 
“With the right resources and opportunities, businesses are willing to invest in their workers and this is why partnership between industry, Governments and development partners is critical,” Minister Koya said.
 
“The main objective of this partnership is to provide relevant training opportunities to Pacific tourism and the hospitality industry in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Tonga and Vanuatu – all of who have been tremendously affected by the pandemic,” he added.
 
“As we use this time and opportunity to up-skill employees, the Fijian Government is also working hard to improve the business environment. For those interested in starting a business, you can get all the information on bizfiji.com.”
 
This core-curriculum designed for the tourism sector workers is a forward-looking initiative by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) and Fiji Hotels and Tourism Association (FHTA), in partnership with the Japanese Government.
 
UNDP Resident Representative Mr. Levan Bouadze said this unusual time of COVID-19 poses challenges which are not just unpredictable but also beyond anyone’s comprehension and therefore needs the best response to this situation.
 
“The tourism sector has particularly become vulnerable in the region in some of the nations in the Pacific in particular Fiji, Vanuatu and Cook Islands which have been affected significantly,” Mr Bouadze said.
 
“We are pleased to be engaging with key-partners to empower and build the resilience of Pacific island people with meaningful opportunities to overcome the adverse socio-economic impacts of COVID-19.”
 
Japanese Ambassador to Fiji H.E. Masahiro Omura speaking at the event said this program will have the trainees acquire skillsets, motivate them to find new jobs and start new ventures in order to support their livelihoods.
 
“I eagerly look forward to this program being initially implemented here in Fiji and progressively expanded to the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga, Kiribati, Nauru and Vanuatu,” Ambassador Omura added.
 
The courses, provided by APTC, will comprise of micro-credential courses which will be a prerequisite for an additional skills course. Micro-credentials are certification-style qualifications that individuals choose to study to improve a skill found in a particular industry area.