Sakiusa Sigakeigau Baleisuva firmly believes that age is no barrier to learning.
The 29-year-old is among the many bright-eyed tradesmen enrolled at Fiji National University’s (FNU), National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) short course in tile laying.
“I would like to encourage people of all ages- young as well as those matured. The mentality that with age the learning process stops is not right, it only ends when you pass away.
Hailing from Lomaiviti, Baleisuva said attaining a qualification was vital as it would complement one’s experience in their field of specification.
“I encourage all those who are working in various fields and are yet to attain a qualification, to return to school and do so. Complete your qualification then go back to the field,” he urged.
“I completed my secondary school education in 2014 and decided to find a job straight afterwards.”
“My interest was in carpentry since I was a technical drawing student, so I pursued carpentry work as a labourer to try and save some money.”
My plan was to return to school to acquire my qualification and become a professional in this field.”
The 29-year-old Nadera resident aspires to branch out from his family of farmers and pursue his dream in the carpentry field.
“I like to build. I like to create something new. Most of my elders are farmers back in the islands and I wanted to jump into another field and gain experience as I have dreams of one day being able to work for a large organisation,” Baleisuva said.
The Tile Laying course at NTPC is one of eight short courses that students can study via grants available through the Tertiary Scholarships and Loans Service (TSLS).
Students can also choose to undertake studies in the following short courses eligible under the study grant provided by TSLS. The courses include Tile Laying as well as Plastering, Block Laying, Painting and Decorating, Sheetmetal Works, Basic Furniture Making, Basic Plumbing and Construction Fundamentals.
TSLS Study Grants
Students interested in the two-week short courses are encouraged to apply now at FNU to receive an Offer Letter.
The Offer Letter is required in their application to TSLS before the study grant deadline today, Monday, 3 October 2022.
In addition, eligible applicants must be a Fijian citizen, not be in any form of employment or a current Year 12 or Year 13 student and be fully vaccinated or exempted by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services if above the age of 18.
All applications are to be made to TSLS using the Grant Application Form, which can be downloaded from https://www.tsls.com.fj/Forms
For further information regarding the short courses, applicants can contact NTPC representatives on the details below:
Narere Campus, Nasinu: Merelita Delasau, Email: Merelita.delasau@fnu.ac.fj , Ph: 3392000 Ext: 4765
Naceva Campus, Lautoka: Sovaia Kubukodrau, Email: Sovaia.kubukodrau@fnu.ac.fj , Ph: 6667000/665021 Ext: 7300