Fiji is facing a significant need for investment in skill development, requiring $104 million annually to train 8,000 individuals. This information was shared by Dr. Ganesh Chand, chairman of Pacific Polytech, at the Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Annual Business Forum.
Dr. Chand estimated that the total cost of training these new entrants into the blue-collar workforce would amount to $104 million per year. He noted that $67 million could be sourced from government grants, while an additional $38 million would come through tuition support, highlighting the current education funding model.
At present, Fiji is only investing in the training of 3,780 individuals at a cost of $42 million, leaving a shortfall of $62 million. Dr. Chand advocated for financial contributions from countries that benefit from the skills developed in Fiji, referencing the $1.2 billion in investments they receive.
He raised concerns about the impact of migration on Fiji’s workforce, stating that many skilled individuals, typically between the ages of 30 and 35, leave the country. This has resulted in a reduction of the average working life in Fiji to just 15 years, necessitating the training of 8,000 new workers for the labor market each year. Unfortunately, the actual number of individuals skilled in recent years has fallen short, with only about 1,500 trained instead of the needed 3,000.
Dr. Chand questioned whether policymakers fully acknowledged this critical issue and the data surrounding it.
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