Page 26 - IB April 2021

Education Education

usual and certainly with COVID, most businesses have looked offering training, TVET sector strengthening and reform, with
at their organisational structure because most businesses have cofounding from Pacific Island countries. It also recommended
had to pivot. So that’s unfortunately the reality of the situa- APTC maintain a majority independent governing structure,
tion because we have to make sure the functions align with with 50% Pacific Islander membership, and with the role of
what the outcomes need to be.” Chair co-shared by both an Australian and Pacific member of
Concerns have also been raised about the quality of consul- the board.
tations held with partner governments and institutions over The APTC Phase Three design document also stated in-
the changes. creased focus on supporting TVET systems strengthening
Meanwhile Board member Fantasha Lockington says consul- and reform initiatives. This would involve “actively work-
tations on the new direction need to continue. ing to foster reform where opportunities exist or emerge,”
“I think there still needs to be a whole lot of discussions noting that “it will be particularly important to ensure that
happening at this level that need to filtered all the way any reform process is locally led. This is to avoid supporting
down. The fact that it is already coming out a little bit nega- processes that may represent technical best practice, but as
tive probably needs to be looked at. externally driven policy and technical assistance either fails
“They’re trying to manage it, so they’ve got new leader- to find any traction with those key stakeholders, or creates
ship, they’ve got a new structure that they are looking at but the appearance of reform without making much of a differ-
that hasn’t been confirmed, they’ve had a review and they’ve ence in practice. Locally led development means that there
also got a new strategic plan going forward. It’s making sure is a focus on issues and problems that are of importance to
that everything is aligned before they start dropping off local stakeholders. It also means that priority is given to local
people. leadership and local capacity in the search for solutions and
So I don’t think it should be alarm bells yet, I think it’s a approaches to TVET reform.”
work in progress.” “The Pacific-led approach is not off the table long term
from either me in this chair or DFAT in Canberra,” Chapman
Where to now? says. “It’s just that it has to change at the moment because of
Despite upheavals at APTC headquarters, the work con- the COVID response, otherwise we’re not going to be sustain-
tinues. It’s graduation season and this month, 71 Samoans able. And the priority at the moment is people getting jobs.”
graduated in education support, fabrication, hospitality, Still, questions remain. How much of the shift at APTC is a
leadership and management and International Skills Training. considered response to the economic difficulties Pacific Island
In Fiji, Education Minister Rosy Akbar told 321 local graduates: economies now find themselves in, and how much is attrib-
“You are what Fiji needs right now - your skills and talents are utable to the protection of vested interests, as some have
what will drive Fiji to ensure that we get through the impact suggested? How can Pacific stakeholders ensure that COVID
that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our nation.” The 96 responses do not become rigid long term intractable arrange-
i-Kiribati nationals who graduated from APTC in Betio last ments, that develop without meaningful Pacific Island input or
month heard their Employment Minister Taabeta Teakai say leadership? Why should sustainability and Pacific leadership be
“I am particularly encouraged by the qualifications awarded considered mutually exclusive? And can we expect to see this
today, given their close alignment with our Government’s sort of reprioritisation, and the strengthening of donor control
priorities for economic development.” over program execution, extend to other regional develop-
While the strategic review of APTC is so far unavailable, ment programs?
an earlier draft gave a positive assessment of APTC work. It
suggested DFAT talk to partners about the possibility of APTC editor@islandsbusiness.com
becoming an independent legal entity in the medium-term

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26 Islands Business, April 2021