Ashaana Lata, an assistant instructor in Leadership and Management at the National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) under Fiji National University (FNU), is emerging as a visible force in efforts to build leadership capacity across Fiji’s public and private sectors. Having worked at FNU for six years and with NTPC’s training team for nearly a year, Ms Lata said her current focus is on strategic leadership, organisational development and strengthening pathways for women to assume leadership roles.
Ms Lata described stepping into the NTPC training role as “enriching and eye-opening,” giving her exposure to a wide range of workplace realities and practical leadership challenges. Her programmes cover leadership fundamentals, emotional intelligence, communication and team effectiveness, and she emphasises practical, hands-on learning grounded in the Fijian cultural and workplace context. “We deliver training that is grounded in real-world examples and practical, hands-on activities,” she said.
Supporting women in leadership is central to Ms Lata’s work. She said she is “passionate about empowering women, equipping them with the confidence, capability, and leadership readiness to step forward and lead with purpose.” That passion informs both her classroom practice and her current academic research, which is advancing knowledge of women-led organisations in Fiji. Ms Lata is pursuing that research alongside her training duties, seeking to better understand barriers and enablers for women’s leadership locally.
Her approach combines theory with tangible skills development, and she pointed to small, measurable changes in participant outcomes as evidence of impact. One trainee, she recalled, gained the confidence to approach her superior to address longstanding workplace issues — a shift Ms Lata described as “truly rewarding,” reflecting not only improved performance but also personal empowerment.
The expansion of targeted leadership training at institutions such as NTPC aligns with recent national policy emphasis on people development. Fiji’s National Development Plan and Vision 2050 identify people empowerment as a pillar of long-term national resilience and productivity; Ms Lata’s work with NTPC contributes directly to that aim by building managerial capability and promoting inclusive leadership practices across sectors.
As Ms Lata continues to balance instructional duties and academic inquiry, NTPC trainers say the immediate priority is translating research insights into programmes that address real workplace needs. With nearly a year’s experience on NTPC’s training team and half a decade at FNU, Ms Lata represents the latest development in the university’s efforts to professionalise leadership training and to prioritise women’s pathways into leadership as part of Fiji’s broader development strategy.