The Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) has recently appointed Kiatoa Iaoniman as the Country Engagement and Liaison Coordinator for Kiribati.

The newly created position, based in Tarawa from the beginning of September 2019, is the focal point for all APTC activities in Kiribati, including student recruitment, coordinating delivery of short courses, skill sets and advancing partner outreach through labour mobility and various other engagements.

Mr Iaoniman joins APTC with vast and impressive experience in Kiribati in roles such as the Head of Legal Service with the Office of the People’s Lawyer, Court and Dispute Resolution Tutor at The University of the South Pacific (USP), and Assistant Commissioner of Police. He also worked as a project officer at the Pacific Islands Chief of Police in Wellington, New Zealand in 2007.

Having spent more than 10 years working in senior level management where he took on leadership, liaison and coordination roles, he holds a Master of Public Policy and a Graduate Diploma in Public Administration from the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, and a Professional Diploma in Legal Practice together with a Bachelor of Law from USP in Fiji and Vanuatu.

Mr Iaoniman said he looks forward to helping strengthen APTC’s engagement and undertakings with stakeholders in Kiribati and across the Pacific with an aim to advance skills development.

“APTC has been changing lives for graduates and their families through quality TVET delivery and internationally recognised qualifications. This has contributed to improved employment outcomes for many Pacific islanders. I hope to contribute to achieving APTC’s strategic goal of creating skills for life and enhance my professional skills,” he said.

Welcoming Mr Iaoniman, APTC’s Chief Executive Officer, Soli Middleby, said she looks forward to the new Engagement and Liaison Coordinator’s efforts in helping to raise the profile of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Kiribati.

“Mr Iaoniman’s appointment brings a wealth of experience, skills and networks to complement our existing team of talented professionals and to ensure that APTC establishes new and meaningful partnerships that create lifelong skills for Kiribati nationals and contribute to greater Pacific prosperity,” Ms Middleby said.

APTC’s Interim Country Director for Kiribati, until recently based in the Solomon Islands Country Office, Nicki Baird, said she looks forward to working with Mr Iaoniman on building and maintaining working relationships with key stakeholders including the Australian Government, development programs, government, and the private sector.

“Mr Iaoniman has a strong history of forming coalitions across Pacific countries, including Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, to implement joint projects with a common goal. He also has had experience in successful project proposal development to various international donors with a background in policy writing,” Ms Baird said.

“His experience will help foster APTC’s visibility and achieving desired results relating to our End of Program Outcomes. We can see that he will work with initiative and enthusiasm as a member of our regional team,” she added.

APTC is Australia’s flagship program for training excellence and collaboration, helping Pacific Island citizens gain Australian skills and qualifications for a wide range of vocational careers. More than 15,000 Pacific Island nationals have graduated from APTC since it began operation in 2007.