Minister for Women, Children, and Poverty Alleviation, Lynda Tabuya.

Minister for Women, Children, and Poverty Alleviation Lynda Tabuya says the Social Protection Scheme is only to deal with temporary shocks.

She has also highlighted programs to graduate people from it.

Speaking in Parliament last night, Tabuya says clients should not be on the program for many years.

She says temporary shocks include loss of employment, a natural disaster, or a pandemic, but they are not meant for the long term.

The Minister says that for this, the Ministry is reviving the welfare graduation program.

“We have begun our graduation program with a specific focus on our women. In September this year, in partnership with the Australian government through APTC, scholarships will be awarded to young women who recently turned 18 and are leaving our state home. Single women and a few men in the HART community who are welfare recipients will undertake engineering level two certificate courses. This is an entry-level course, so it does not require any previous experience.”

Tabuya says they will be supported with apprenticeships and secure employment.

She says this is the beginning of the coalition government’s commitment to putting people to work.

The Minister also claims that the PALM scheme and the Duavata Scheme are taking the majority of men and leaving women behind.

Tabuya says the Ministry is ready to train women and put them into employment.

She further highlighted the need to digitize the Social Welfare recipient database.

The Minister says this will allow the Ministry to determine able-bodied men and women who need to graduate from poverty to productivity.

Tabuya reveals that some students from the University of the South Pacific are currently on holiday work with the Ministry, doing data entry for this purpose.

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