Riya Mala 
The government is taking decisive action to address Fiji’s labor market challenges, aiming to secure the country’s future workforce.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad, says that recognizing nearly 70% of the population is under 40 and that critical skills are in short supply, the government has launched a series of reforms targeting education, training, and workforce retention.
He adds that key measures include writing off $650 million in TELS debt to remove barriers for graduates and expanding scholarships to 24,653 students in medical, nursing, engineering, technical, and niche fields.
“Twenty-nine vocational schools have been reopened and apprenticeship programs expanded. These reforms are designed to address longstanding skill shortages in critical sectors. The government has introduced a merit-based scholarship scheme, funding 24,653 students, including 11,593 continuing students and 13,000 new students. We have also increased the number of TELS scholarships from 2,780 to 4,500.”
He adds that to strengthen employment opportunities, the government introduced a Graduate Business Start-Up Grant Scheme, providing $10,000 to final-semester graduates to launch businesses, while immigration reforms are being implemented to complement local skills, not replace them.
Public service reforms including restoring the retirement age and increasing pay in scarce technical fields aim to retain critical talent, he added.
Professor Prasad said these bold reforms are designed to end Fiji’s skills shortage, empower youth, and ensure the labor market can meet both current and future demands.
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