Fiji National University will host the first International Vocational Education and Training Association (IVETA) World TVET Conference organised in the South Pacific from the 23 to 25 August at the Grand Pacific Hotel.

The conference, with the theme “Quality, Innovation and skill mobilization in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) – an internationalisation process,” is being organised by the Pacific TVET Association.

FNU’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Nigel Healey, said the University was delighted to have been invited to host such a prestigious event.

“As a dual sector university, FNU has a special place in the education landscape of the South Pacific. Our TVET provision connects seamlessly with our higher education programmes, so that FNU offers an integrated national post-secondary education system. We allow leaners, at any stage of their lives, to enter the University to up skill and, if they choose, to progress to more advanced programmes.”

“The choice of FNU as the host for the IVETA World TVET Conference and the attendance of so many delegates from across the Pacific highlights the value we place on TVET as a way of transforming the life chances of young people and providing a nationwide network of pathways into further and higher education.”

FNU’s Acting Director TVET, Dr Isimeli Tagicakiverata said the conference will give an opportunity to the overseas delegation to see what the Pacific can offer in terms of TVET.

“We needed this large scale conference to be brought to Fiji so that our local Fiji and Pacific educators, policy makers and TVET stakeholders may benefit from the international exposure, networking and exchange of ideas.

“I’m glad to say that we have confirmed attendance from Pacific Islands such as Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga and Papua New Guinea. The national university of Fiji will be featured prominently in this conference. Our TVET exhibition booths at the conference will feature some current programmes and projects.

“The process began in 2013 when PATVET (Pacific TVET Association), which is based at FNU, became a member of the international body IVETA. A Memorandum of Understanding was