Australian Ambassador Robert Cotton reiterated Australia’s commitment to the development of Fiji and other South Pacific nations during his address at the Telecommunication Training Centre (TTC) graduation ceremony in 1989. In a report from The Fiji Times dated October 2 of that year, Cotton highlighted Australia’s efforts to improve telecommunication services throughout the region.
He indicated that Australia was ready to provide assistance through various means, including bilateral programs, regional organizations like the Forum Secretariat, and support for individual countries. As a significant player in the South Pacific, Australia aimed to help island nations keep up with technological advancements in telecommunications.
During the graduation ceremony, 67 students completed their training 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 – which included two from Tonga, one from Western Samoa, and 17 from Fiji – received diplomas in telecommunications engineering. Additionally, 17 Fijians earned higher technician certificates, while 12 regional students from Tonga, Kiribati, Western Samoa, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu completed the trainee technician course. Furthermore, 17 radio and telephone operators, comprising 13 Fijians and four Tuvaluans, were also awarded certificates.
Funding for the training of regional students was provided by Australia, New Zealand, Pac Broad, and the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation, while 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 market the TTC’s programs to other organizations starting the following year, aiming to meet the high demand for trained staff, which had resulted in a significant staff drain.