Pacific Polytech has opened its first NIELIT Polytech Centre for Electronics and ICT at the Namotomoto Campus in Nadi, marking a new phase in a bilateral skills partnership with the Government of India aimed at boosting Fiji’s digital workforce. The centre, launched this week, will offer students access to courses aligned with international standards in electronics and information technology under the NIELIT framework.
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga hailed India’s ongoing cooperation with Fiji and framed the centre as part of a broader national push to build technical capacity. “Through collaboration in digital education, electronics, information technology, we are strengthening a vision of a more connected, innovative, and technologically capable future,” he said, adding that initiatives like this help ensure Fiji’s workforce remains competitive in a fast-evolving global economy.
Pacific Polytech has expanded steadily around the country since its establishment, with campuses in Suva, Nausori, Lautoka, Tavua, Labasa, Nadi and Bua, and the Namotomoto Campus now hosting the first NIELIT-branded centre. Turaga pointed to recent outreach work as evidence of demand, noting a training programme conducted in Levuka that saw about 200 students graduate — an example, he said, of how vocational and technical programmes can deliver job-ready skills across trades, ICT, business, hospitality, agriculture and health sciences.
Organisers say the new NIELIT Polytech Centre will deliver recognised credentials in electronics and information technology that align with international benchmarks, opening “new pathways for opportunity” particularly for young people seeking careers in technology and digital innovation. Turaga outlined three expected benefits: access to internationally standardised programmes, strengthened national digital capacity, and expanded opportunities for youth employment and entrepreneurship in tech sectors.
The launch arrives as both public and private sectors in Fiji accelerate digital transformation efforts. Recent corporate moves to integrate AI and digital systems underscore a growing need for technicians and IT professionals who can operate and maintain modern systems — a gap vocational centres are increasingly being asked to fill.
Details on the specific courses to be offered, enrolment targets, partnerships for placement or scholarships were not disclosed at the event. Pacific Polytech and Indian partners will be watched closely for curriculum announcements and start dates, as the centre’s success will be judged by how quickly it can convert training into tangible employment pathways for graduates across the islands.
For now, the Namotomoto centre represents a visible step in a widening technical-education partnership between Fiji and India, and a domestic commitment to equip young Fijians with skills considered essential in contemporary labour markets.
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