Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) Dr Franco Rodie attended the TAFE Directors Australia annual convention in Melbourne Australia as a special overseas guest.
TAFE Directors Australia is a peak advisory mechanism in Australia that provides advice on the strategic directions for the skills sector through industry engagement, advocacy and key national policy directions.
Participants at the convention included heads of leading training institutions from across Australia, many of whom also provide both academic and technical training in their institutions.
PS Rodie met many high profile Australian government and industry figures and shared with participants lessons from Solomon Islands’ own tertiary and skills education sector reform process. PS Rodie used this occasion to also discuss opportunities for new relationships with Australian skills training providers that will help bring Australia’s expertise and experience in skills training to Solomon Islands.
Australia is supporting Solomon Islands to rejuvenate its tertiary and skills education sector through the Skills for Economic Growth (S4EG) program. The S4EG represents Australia’s major investment in technical and vocational education and skills development for Solomon Islands. The program is supporting MEHRD with the development of the national tertiary education system, including the establishment of a national qualifications framework.
The Skills for Economic Growth Program is also supporting quality improvements in technical training in partnership with leading training providers such as the Solomon Islands National University School of Technology and Maritime Studies, Don Bosco Technical Institute, Batuna Rural Training Centre (RTC), Asia Pacific Sustainable Development RTC and Afutara RTC.
Press Release: Australian High Commission Office