[File Photo]

The Ministry of Education is working on bringing back professional career teachers in secondary schools.

Assistant Minister Iliesa Vanawalu says they have already reinstated the Careers Department within the Ministry.

Vanawalu says they are only left to bring back career classes and reintroduce teachers into classrooms.

He adds that through career expos, students are guided to pursue their aspirations, and in return, the Ministry can collect data to address the country’s skills gap problem.

“This is the area where we can always have the data to see those dropouts and those who were not successful enough, and when we have the data, the government will be able to approve funds for the ministry, so come next year we will be able to bridge this gap.”

The Higher Education Commission of Fiji is working with the Ministry and other stakeholders to provide data to address the skills gap in Fiji.

More than a thousand students from schools around Cakaudrove, Bua, and Macuata were part of the three-day Northern Careers Expo in Labasa.