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More than $2.28 million has been allocated to help establish a Skills Qualification Scheme.

Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says this will help address the skill gap and combat the overseas poaching of Fijian skilled workers.

Sayed-Khaiyum says several industries have expressed their concerns about the skill gaps that exist in their corporate operations.

“There is a lot of skill shortage that of course, other countries are facing themselves even though some of our people are going there.”

The government has also set aside 2000 grants for micro-qualifications for skills development to meet the anticipated boom in the construction sector.

“Some people who were maybe unemployed in Fiji are also going there, so you know, we’ll see, but we have to also anticipate there could be some pressure.”

Meanwhile, Fiji Higher Education Commission Director Doctor Rohit Kishore says tertiary institutions have been advised to work with key economic industries.

“We need to try to see how we can engage with the industry and how we can change our TVET programs to provide the labor market with the new set of skills that they are requiring.”

A skills shortage poses some real risks to the resilience of Fiji’s recovery.

Economists state that if industries do not have the people with the right skills in place, their ability to produce their product or service comes under threat.