[File Photo]

Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh applauds the development of a new 10-year sector plan tailored to meet labour market demands.

Singh says that the initiative will tackle labour mobility concerns by appointing an Education Commission to review the education system and align it with the country’s needs.

He adds to address the labour market demand, the government has supported the revitalization of technical vocational training institutions to provide short-term and medium-term technical training.

The Employment Minister says they have been working with stakeholders like the Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Service Board.

“One initiative is the apprenticeship scheme that has been initiated. There are 400 positions for this year that have been provided for in the budget. The government is topping up the wages by $2, which will amount to a total of $4.90 an hour.”

Singh says the increase in allowances through the National Employment Center is another strategy implemented by the government to attract interest in local employment opportunities.

The Employment Ministry, on the 21st of this month, will hold a one-day Employment Forum to discuss issues pertaining to employment, productivity, and workplace relations.

The theme is: “Future of Employment Relations in the World of Work: Navigating the Fijian Work Landscape.”.