Two men, Sanjay Narain Sharma, 47, and Alivereti Tagivetaua, 33, recently graduated as part of a cohort trained under the National Employment Centre programme, challenging the notion that caregiving roles are primarily for women. The graduation ceremony took place last Friday at Calvary Temple, where they received their Certificate III in Individual Support (Aging), as part of a program funded by the Australian Aged Care Expansion initiative within the Pacific Australia Labour and Mobility (PALM) scheme.
The theoretical components of the training were delivered by Alphacrucis University College, an educational institution recognized by the Fijian Higher Education Commission.
Sharma discovered his passion for caregiving while caring for his mother, who passed away in 2022. He expressed that there is no greater fulfillment than providing care to others, highlighting his experience in looking after elderly family members.
Through the National Employment Centre programme, he feels prepared to represent Fiji positively. Tagivetaua shared that his biggest challenge was completing the practical training required for graduation, noting that he didn’t have the opportunity to care for his grandparents as he was too young when they passed away. He sees this program as a chance to demonstrate the love he couldn’t show them.
Gaayetri Prasad, manager of Foreign Employment Services at the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations, emphasized that the graduates are now ambassadors for Fiji in Australia. She urged them to uphold their country’s reputation, as their conduct will pave the way for others interested in similar opportunities.
The graduates are set to finish their training in June next year.
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