Australian Ambassador Robert Cotton reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to the development of Fiji and other South Pacific nations during the graduation ceremony at the Telecommunication Training Centre (TTC) in 1989. In a report by The Fiji Times on October 2 of that year, he stressed Australia’s dedication to improving telecommunication services across the region.
Cotton noted that Australia was willing to provide assistance through bilateral programs, regional organizations like the Forum Secretariat, and support for individual countries. As a significant player in the South Pacific, Australia’s objective was to help island nations keep up with technological advancements in telecommunications.
The graduation ceremony celebrated the achievement of 67 students at the TTC, with programs ranging from one to three years. The graduates included technical cadets, trainee technicians, and telephone operators. Among them, 20 students—two from Tonga, one from Western Samoa, and 17 from Fiji—earned diplomas in telecommunications engineering. Additionally, 17 Fijians received higher technician certificates, while 12 students from regional countries such as Tonga, Kiribati, Western Samoa, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu completed the trainee technician course. Seventeen radio and telephone operators—13 Fijians and four Tuvaluans—also obtained certificates.
Funding for the training of regional students was provided by Australia, New Zealand, Pac Broad, and the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation. In contrast, the costs for Fijian students were covered by the Posts and Telecommunications Department along with their sponsoring organizations.
Emori Naqova, the Permanent Secretary for Telecommunications, announced plans to promote the TTC’s programs to other organizations starting next year, aimed at addressing the high demand for trained staff and the resulting significant staff drain.