Tonga Skills, an Australian Government-funded skills development initiative is helping Tonga to ease its unemployment issues among youths.
The initiative is aimed at supporting skills development in Tonga linked directly to inclusive economic growth.
Dr ‘Uhila Moe Langi Fasi, team leader of Tonga Skills says Tonga Skills just completed piloting a funding request process with monetary support to three training programs.
The training programs included skippers and swim-guide training for the whale watching industry, readiness for work training by the Tonga Youth Employment Entrepreneurship and social enterprise training in Vava’u by the Tonga National Youth Congress.
“We have completed three training programs and a fourth one will happen next week which is Mabe Pearl Carving training by the Tonga Business Enterprise Centre,” he said.
Twenty young prospective workers were trained in the area of personal leadership, career planning and skills for work success in preparation for work training by Tonga Youth Employment Entrepreneurship (TYEE) and social enterprise training.
In the training, trainees are supported through job application, interview and placement into employment vacancies registered with TYEE.
Dr. Fasi says Australia has invested a lot of skills development in Tonga Skills with its targeted, inclusive and flexible approach.
“With Australia’s targeted inclusive and flexible approach, Tonga Skill will be able to help alleviate the employment and unemployment issues in Tonga,” he explained.
He also said that the major challenge for Tonga Skills right now is prioritising funding requests and for a wide reach, it needs more funding.
Dr. Fasi says with a different approach, Tonga Skills aims to make a difference in the employment landscape of Tonga.
Photo by: Scope Global (Agreement signed by Ms Lusia Latu-Jones, President of Tonga Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship and Dr Uhila-Moe Langi Fasi, Tonga Skills Team Leader).