The European Union (EU) funded Training Support to the Sugar Industry Project 2014-2017, which has now entered its third year of operation, is progressing well. The project aims to improve productivity and efficiency by upgrading the technical and management skills of sugar industry workers across the sugar supply chain in Fiji.

The Training Support to the Sugar Industry Project is an agreement of delegated cooperation between the EU and the Australian Government to provide training support to the Fiji sugar industry in alignment with the EU “Accompanying Measures for Sugar Protocol (AMSP 2013)” goals. The Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) was engaged by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to deliver the training for the project with funding supplied by the EU.

On Thursday 28 January, Training Support to the Sugar Industry Project Leader Mr Kevin Wyatt, welcomed the EU Co-ordination Office members to the newly located project office in Namaka. The project is now operating out of a shopfront which enables a higher level of visibility and provides an additional facility for training delivery.

The project is tracking well and is meeting all the project outcomes. 2016 is off to a strong start, with 23 participants from Lautoka, Rakiraki, Ba and Labasa commencing training in Diesel Fitting and Fitting and Machining in Suva, on 18 January.

To date, 741 people have participated in training programs conducted at the Lautoka, Penang, and Rarawai Sugar Mills, and other locations across Fiji. The final target is to engage with 1500 people from across the 23 sugarcane sectors in Fiji.

The first graduation ceremony for the project was held on 27 November, 2015 for 82 students graduating with Certificate IV Frontline Management.

Epeli Kikau, who completed the Certificate IV Frontline Management course, said he was especially grateful to APTC for the course training he had received from APTC Business trainer Ms Natasha Duncombe, adding that, “the training was great, the learning material were simple enough and easy to understand. Concepts and knowledge were easy to grasp as these were orchestrated well by the facilitator’s style of teaching. The teaching and learning resources were excellent; especially being provided with laptops to foster learning”.

Key stakeholders in this project include Fiji Sugar Corporation, Sugar Industry Tribunal, Sugar Research Institute of Fiji, Sugar Cane Growers Council, Sugar Cane Growers Fund, Cane Producer Associations (Lautoka, Labasa and Rarawai/Penang), Ministry of Sugar, GIS, NIR, EU Coordination Unit, FSC Advisory Officers and Leader Farmers.