The Fiji Higher Education Commission has ended its first Industry Academia collaboration meeting on a high note in Suva.

The meeting has looked at ways to solve the growing problems students face while getting prepared for employment.

Commissions Chair Dr Richard Wah said institutions, industries and other important stakeholders gathered to find ways forward for higher education in the country for the first time this week.
He adds the collaborative meeting lead to developing relevant and quality graduates for employment.

However, one of the issues is to return the apprenticeship scheme to have more skilled people.

“The apprenticeship is the old apprentice skills we used to have before they were 6 years, 5 years and 4 at the moment- these are people who get jobs and as they’re being trained and sent out to industry work and return for block studies at the universities, they get back while they’re studying.”

The Commission will also work with the providers of the industry to introduce more national qualifications and thereby have national standards.

The meeting hopes to ensure relevant stakeholders work together to improve Fiji’s higher education sector for offering relevant and quality programmes and graduates.