MINISTER PARVEEN KUMAR'S ADDRESS AT THE LABASA YOUTH TRAINING CENTRE GRADUATION

Distinguished Guests;
Trainers;
Graduating Trainees;
Parents and Guardians;
Members of the Media;
Ladies and Gentlemen;

Bula Vinaka and Good morning to you all.

Ladies and gentlemen, and dear Graduands, I am deeply honored to be here amongts you at this very important graduation ceremony from the Ministry of Youth and Sports – Youth Training programs.

Each year, we gather to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating trainees from our Youth Training Centres in Naleba and Naqere, here in the friendly North.

Ladies and Gentlemen, as many of you may be aware Fiji is a young country with around 70% of the population below the age of 40. Thus, effective engagement of youth in training and development has a flow on effect on the economy, as well as growing civic minded youths to contribute to nation building.

The MYS training program fills in a much needed role in providing for training and education in sectors that are not found in the formal education institutions.

The MYS programs aims to fill in these gaps and be responsive to training needs, as pathways into jobs, but also to help our youth become job creators.

Over the years, these programs have become refined and has provided a relevant and fulfilling training journey for our youths.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has a long tradition in providing non-formal education opportunities to our young people so that they can make the most of employment and leadership opportunities.

In the past decade or so, especially under the Fiji First Government, we have made these programs more widely spread, and aimed to tailor make the programs to suit existing skills shortages, or indentified gaps in skills towards self-employment and job creation.

Ladies and gentlemen, today, we will see graduates from this set of job ready training and development under  MYS.

To the graduates, remember, you are at the forefront of our youth advocacy movement. You are role models. And living proof of the success of these programs, which I hope will provide livelihoods and life shaping opportunties for all of you. As graduates from the MYS program, I would like to see your active participation as youth advocates in all facets of being a good citizen of Fiji.
 
And in doing so, you will support our development effort made to transform Fiji into a modern and dynamic society, involving everyone in our national development and leaving no one behind, under the Fiji First Government.

This Government, through the Ministry, will continue to roll out relevant training programs to meet the needs of the nation and our economy effectively.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are very pleased that our nonformal education programs are proving beneficial for all our trainees. In this case, the introduction of Organic Agriculture training at Naleba, while Carpentry Training has been the mainstay at Naqere Training Centre over the years.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Certificates in Organic Agriculture and General Carpentry encourages the youth and trainees alike to pursue self or paid employment around the country.
 
As youth advocates our current graduates here in the Friendly North, must take encouragement from the knowledge that the Ministry is currently participating with other stakeholders in discussions on the reform of the TVET sector. This is in line with the 5 Year and 20 Year National Development Plan under educational priorities, to enhance technical vocational and lifelong skills training at all levels.

Over the past few years, we have actively engaged in monitoring, evaluating and reporting on our current set of training programs. Both those based in Youth Training centres such as Naleba and Naqere, here in the North, and across Fiji, as well as in our range of community based youth training programs.

Ladies and gentlemen, here I would like to thank all the trainers and staff at these centres for their hard work. Without committed educators, at all levels, our educational aims will fall well short of expectations and outcomes and outputs.
 
Many of these trainers have been with the centres for many years, and range from skills training in technical subjects, to social and mental health advocacy trainers, and to instructors in music.

In this regard, these trainers join the larger community of educators in Fiji from school teachers to tertiary lecturers, in providing education and knowledge, that we must value in itself, as well as in its source. That of the teaching and training family of Fiji.

In Fiji, we have traditionally held high regard for all our educators, no matter what level or field they are from. During this testing years of the COVID 19 pandemic, I take this time to thank all our trainers, and educators across for their great work, especially toward youth development.

Your graduates here today, and every graduating or incoming class across Fiji, values and appreciates you, well beyond the classroom or training workshop.
And we look forward to your leaving your training and education mark on our valued Fijian youths in many more years to come.

Ladies and gentlemen, one of the unique aspects of these training programs, is that they come at no or very low cost to participants, and I am thankful for the Fiji First Government for this model, in order to ensure the disadvantaged sectors, where economically, or due to location, are no longer left behind.

To make the programs more relevant in its alignment with jobs and livelihoods, and in supporting government’s efforts for economic recovery, I have asked the National Employment Centre (NEC) last year to look at options of re-skilling and up-skilling affected workers.

This resulted in the NEC partnering with the National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) and conducted a number of tailor-made programs such in Basic Meatworks, Tile Laying, Baking and Beauty Therapy.
 
As you can see from the range of programs, they are aimed at various indentified needs sectors in the job market.

This includes our growing overseas placements through initiatives like the Pacific Mobility Scheme for workers into Australia and New Zealand. We will continue to do this and ensure that our graduates are fit for work in work that is in demand and fit for them. Both here in Fiji, and where available in the overseas sectors, that I have spoken of earlier.

Ladies and Gentlemen, today’s graduation ceremony will see 30 young Fijians graduating after 1 year of intensive training and practical outings to communities. I am told that some of the trainees from Naqere Youth Training Centre have been absorbed for employment while doing their Industrial Attachment during the period of the COVID-19 lockdown. We are all aware that the private sector is the engine room for economic growth and government believes that a strong, robust and resilient economy is through collaboration between all stakeholders.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, it is perhaps time for me to wear my Minister of Employment hat, and make the statement that it is important to realize that securing employment is a two-way process. Job seekers on one hand will need to make themselves attractive for employers while on the other hand, employers will be ensuring that they find the best graduates or candidates. And our MYS training as the pathway is aware of this fit, and we will make continuous effort to have the right skill set for the right skill demand.

Ladies and gentlemen, with these few words, I turn to the business at hand today, which is the exciting and rewarding job of formalizing todays graduation ceremony.

For all the gradutes, my personal and heartfelt congratulations and thank you for your continuous hard work.

I would like to thank the parents and guardians for your support and prayers toward your success. I must also thank all your support network – your wider families – your business sponsors, friends and community here in the Friendly North for their work in enabling you to complete your courses successfully.
Trainees, as you leave the centres, I hope that you will take with you the life skills you have learned. As well as the trade skills.

I hope you will continue to work with your fellow graduates and continue to network with the training centres. I know that this training program has built new and positive work related friendships,  positive discipline, good habits and good citizenry.
 
Most importantly it has blessed you with livelhood creating skills that you have learnt and showed competency in during your time at the centres.
Use these networks and skills well, and use it wisely.

Thank you to the staff of the training centre for coordinating the training with a big Vinaka to our support staff for organizing this grand graduation ceremony for all trainees.

I wish you all a blessed Christmas, and a happy New Year and, for our trainees, a promising future ahead.

Vinaka and thank you all.