Skilled workers who have acquired working experience can now have formal qualifications.

This follows the Recognition of Prior Learning policy which will soon be implemented by the Fiji Higher Education Commission.

FHEC Communications Officer Epineri Rawalai says institutions will have to closely collaborate with the Commission to develop their RPL policy in order to carry out the process.

“Recognition of Prior Learning is a process to recognize competence and certify skilled people who have acquired working experience but have no formal qualifications. In short we can just say you know giving qualifications to those that have experience but they don’t have it.”

Rawalai says with the policy in place, individuals will make applications and they will be assessed in the workplace and if the applicant is competent, the institution will then provide the certification.

He adds the RPL will also come with the cost which will be determined by institutions and not the Commission.

“So who it will work, individuals will have to apply to institutions for RPL, it will come with the cost of course, institutions will determine the cost, this is in relations to the cost of the programme individuals are after.”

The Monfort Boys Town is ready to implement RPL in Term 1, 2020.

The three other institutions that have indicated their intention includes the Technical College of Fiji, Fiji LDS Church College and the Fiji National University.