Minister for Education Heritage and Arts Premila Kumar has encouraged students to take up Technical Vocational Education and Training studies (TVET).

While speaking to students of Ratu Kadavulevu School (RKS), and Bau Central College on Tuesday, Kumar reminded students that TVET should not be viewed as an alternative path for ‘dropouts’.

“Don’t think that technical and vocational courses are really for dropouts, it is not.

“Or even technical and vocational courses are for people with lower intellectual ability, in fact it is not,” Minister Kumar said.

She highlighted that Fiji had scarcity of technical skills and this needed immediate redress.

“There is a shortage of technical skills, and this problem is of course a worldwide issue,” Ms Kumar said.

“It is a golden opportunity for Fiji, and for you (students) to pursue technical and vocational courses, because you might start slow but if you work hard, you might even be your own boss,” she said.

Ratu Kadavulevu School Principal Ilaisa Waqalala (left) with Minister for Education Premila Kumar on July 5, 2022. Photo: Ronald Kumar

Shedding light to the good achievement of vocational studies, the Minister highlighted Raghwan Construction Limited and founder Vijay Raghwan’s accomplishments.

“Founder of Raghwan construction was a graduate of the then Fiji Institute of Technology (FIT), and today he owns a big business,” Ms Kumar said.

“Likewise for mechanics, if mechanics can fix the cars, and people drive the cars, imagine they are also putting their confidence in the mechanics.”

“So vocational studies play an important role in our society.”

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