Ni Sa Bula Vinaka.

Warm greetings from NTPC!

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 2022 Industry Community Discussion Forum (ICDF). This is a significant and much-anticipated event for the National Training and Productivity Centre every year as this is the largest stakeholder engagement in our calendar.

Ladies and gentlemen, as the designated National Productivity Organisation for Fiji, NTPC’s key role is to reduce the skills gaps amongst our workforce by conducting in-service training and fostering economic growth through promoting productivity in Fiji. This forum is also in line with our new FNU strategic plan, Pillar One – Education for Employability, and Sphere Two – National Development. Thus, we hold an intense month-long industry and community stakeholder engagement event to successfully fulfil both our mandate and strategy.

The ICDF is held every year, and the entire NTPC team is grossly involved in meeting and discussing skills trainings needs with business leaders, employees, ordinary man and woman. The main aim of this forum is the information it gathers on industry and stakeholder training needs. This information allows us to better plan our courses to meet the ever-changing needs of employers and employees from a wide range of sectors, including big corporations and non-profit organisations, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to persons exploring means to sustain livelihood.

The past two years saw us all adapt to new norms as we working remotely from homes, and some venturing to side hustles after losing jobs due to pandemic and economic downturn. The training needs of organisations have also changed drastically around the world, and Fiji being a developing nation experienced the same. In order for organisations to remain agile and meet corporate objectives, there is an accelerated demand for employee upskilling and reskilling.

And that’s where NTPC steps in. The primary goal of our ICDF is to meet with industry leaders, employers and employees to identify upskilling and reskilling, and address productivity related challenges in the Fijian workforce needs that can be filled through NTPC’s short courses, conferences/seminars, and productivity programmes.

This year the NTPC will hold virtual discussions and visit the various industries, organisations, businesses, and small-medium enterprises in the country. We want to hear from everyone, regardless of how big or small the business is, regardless whether you are located in the Central Business District or in Levuka or Kadavu, whether you are operating a canteen from home or running an import and export business. We want to hear from you the skills you need.

As we hold massive stakeholder engagement across the country, we will appreciate you taking part in our online survey for the month of March. The survey is open to all individuals and organisations to give their views on skills you as an employer require for your workforce and you as an individual need. Your feedback matters to us, and we will act accordingly to design short courses or custom-made courses to help you and your employees.

As part of the ICDF this year, we will host a careers fair day for anyone interested in enhancing their skills, and for students who are intending to study the Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) courses at the NTPC. The careers fair will be held every Thursday for the month of March, where individuals will be able to interact with NTPC Heads of Training, Managers, and senior training instructors. The Careers Fair sessions are not only open to students, but also open to all employers, employees, and community members from the unemployed and informal sectors, as well as NGOs. This will provide an opportunity for any common man to discover the courses they can undertake to strengthen their existing career or future job prospects.

Furthermore, NTPC will hold a virtual talk on Apprenticeship on March 22, inviting employers and successful apprentices to talk on several interesting topics. Please join us during for the discussion and how we can boost the Apprenticeship Scheme in Fiji. I must add that NTPC started the year on a positive note with the recruitment of the 28 apprentices by Vatukoula Gold Mines (PTE) Limited in the various trade jobs. There were also five female apprentices recruited, which shows that there is a keen interest among females in joining the TVET programmes at the university.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is definitely an interesting and busy month at NTPC and we look forward to your continuous support and assistance in making the 2022 ICDF a success.

Please feel free to participate in our virtual discussions and online surveys as we welcome and value all feedback.
Vinaka!