In 2012, the Australia Pacific Technical College (APTC) opened its School of Health and Community Services Training Centre in Suva, Fiji. The new facility offers a Certificate III in Disability, which will benefit not only Fiji citizens but the region as a whole. This course is one of only a limited number of formal courses offered in the Pacific, in this area.
In his opening address, Mr Glenn Miles, Acting High Commissioner, elaborated on why the Australian Government believes in enhancing the lives of people with disabilities.
'From a social, economic and moral viewpoint, no society can afford to ignore such a large part of its own population. Statistics have proven that girls and boys with a disability are less likely to go to school, and have less access to services and support. They show that people with disability have poorer health outcomes, are less likely to gain an income, an income that could help lift themselves and their families out of poverty.'
Through the Certificate III, students from the Pacific region working in special education centres, vocational training centres, government departments, special schools and care facilities will now be formally trained and qualified. These students who already have a sound knowledge of disability issues in their home countries will not only improve their skills and knowledge but take what they have learned back to their homes for the betterment of their communities.
For Fiji citizen Jone Vuetiverata, a graduate of APTCs' Certificate III, the invaluable training has meant moving on from a volunteer role working with people with disability, to a full time teaching position with the Ministry of Education.
'With the training I received from APTC, I am now capable of teaching and taking proper care of students with disabilities. APTC provided a platform to share experiences on the regional level with other teachers from special schools around the Pacific enrolled in the course. During our discussions, we gathered that there have been lots of meetings, workshops and papers written, but little or no change in the care of people with disabilities. With this course we have been reminded that we are the change agents that can make a difference.'
In addition to the disability course, the training facility also houses Certificate III programs in Community and Aged Care, Youth Work and Community Services.
APTC is an Australian Government funded initiative managed by AusAID providing Australian standard quality technical and vocational education to students in the Pacific across 23 course areas.