BYU Hawaii president visits as part of tour of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa

SULUETI  KAMA

Public Affairs Officer, Church of jesus christ of Latter-day Saints, Fiji

Getting Fijian students trained and qualified to meet the demands of the local job market was top priority in meetings recently between LDS Church schools’ leaders and relevant stakeholders.

It co-incided with a visit here by the president of Brigham Young University – Hawai’i (BYU-H), President John Sears Tanner and his wife Susan Winder Tanner.

Their four-day tour of Fiji is part of a Pacific tour that takes in Samoa and Tonga.  Church schools in the three countries send students to study at BYU-H, a university run by the church, every year.

In Fiji, they met representatives from various Government agencies, educational institutions, civil society organisations and LDS Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) employees. They also took the opportunity to tour LDS Primary School and LDS Church College and visit with BYU-H alumnae and prospective students.

President John Sears Tanner with wife Susan Tanner are joined by BYU-H alumnae for lunch after a tour of the LDS Primary School, by the Principal Mereisi Talemaitoga (sitting left). Photo: Ned Taito

The Tanners were accompanied by Michael Carthew, the Director of Pacific Church Schools, during their meetings at the Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Education and Cultural Heritage, the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, Fiji Higher Education Commission, the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation, the University of the South Pacific and the Fiji National University.

Educational opportunities for students from Fiji to undertake undergraduate degrees in over 40 majors were discussed.

For 2018, BYU-H has introduced an innovative approach to broadening the educational knowledge, skills and experience by offering a course of study that has one major and two minors. This novel concept encourages students to develop multiple skill sets that make the graduates more marketable when they return home. A new [MC1] term developed by BYU-H[ea2] “Returnability” was presented to stakeholders, as President Tanner highlighted the visits to Fiji this month of representatives from the School of Social Work and the Center for Hospitality & Tourism as they sought to develop opportunities for internship for BYU-H students in Fiji.

Also present during the meetings were the Principal of LDS Church College, William Ratusaki, and Ned Taito, the Self-Reliance Services Manager for Fiji. Their presence reflected the growing synergy between Brigham Young University, the Church Educational System, Seminaries & Institutes, and Self-Reliance Services in providing a wholistic approach to Spiritual and Temporal Self-Reliance through education.

The LDS Church College in Tamavua, Suva, offers Education for Better Work classes for Year 12 and Year 13 students to prepare them for employment or to further their education in order to qualify for jobs.

The visits to the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations, which manages the National Employment Centre and the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation, provided a unique opportunity to develop a working relationship with the public and private sector agencies responsible for monitoring the job market and assisting Government in developing strategies to address the demands of the respective sectors of the economy.

President John Sears Tanner with wife Susan Tanner and Michael Carthew at Nausori Airport with Fiji Air ground crew, Vika Rakatia, the Suva Fiji North Stake Self-Reliance Specialist. The inaugural Education for Better Work / BYU-H Orientation Group was hosted by the Suva Fiji North Stake. President John Sears Tanner and Susan Tanner were the Guest of Honour at the Graduation Ceremony for the Group, which was held at the Institute Lounge and facilitated by Elder & Sis Felsman from Pocatello, Idaho. Photo: Ned Taito

While in the country President and Sister Tanner were hosted by the BYU-H alumnae in Suva and Nadi. They also had the opportunity to meet with prospective BYU-H students including 12 students who graduated from the inaugural Education for Better Work / BYU-H Orientation Group.

The lessons for the 12-week long Education for Better Work / BYU-H Orientation Group was developed jointly by Self-Reliance Services and BYU-H. One of the students attending the inaugural Group, Inosi Kinikini, has been accepted for the 2017 Fall Semester, with a further three students having completed the application process for the 2018 Winter Semester.

The first ever Education for Better Work / BYU-H Orientation Group was hosted by the Suva Fiji North Stake at the Institute Building in Samabula, Suva.

The Tanners and Mr Carthew have left for Samoa.

Feedback:  jyotip@fijisun.com.fj