More than a hundred students graduated from 12 programmes at the Australia Pacific Technical College (A.P.T.C) on Tuesday.
Among them were graduates in a programme that is a first for the Pacific region. These were graduates in the Certificate III Nutrition course.
Hundreds attended the graduation ceremony held at the E.F.K.S Hall in Sogi. Among them the was Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, who congratulated the graduates and acknowledged the support of their families.
“Education is one of the most powerful instruments for reducing poverty, inequality and it lays the foundation for sustained economic growth,” he said.
“A country therefore relies on the education level of its people to ensure continued economic and social growth.
“I have been told the 108 Samoan Nationals will attain qualifications in the following program areas namely, Allied Science Assistance and Health Service, Carpentry, Children’s Services Commercial Cookery, Disability, Application Hospitality Lodge, Nutrition, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Tourism and Youth Work.
“Of the 12 programs with graduating students, eight were delivered in Samoa. “A.P.T.C’s ability to deliver the majority of its programs in Samoa is evidence of its growing commitment to ensure that students are still able to obtain a qualification while still being able to be close to their families.”
The Prime Minister particularly acknowledged the two women who received the Certificate III in Carpentry. “I congratulate you for taking a leap into a trade widely reserved for males.”
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A.P.T.C Chief Executive Officer, Denise O’Brien hosted over 100 invited guests who joined family and friends and staff and alumni of the APTC Samoa campus to celebrate the successful completion of A.P.T.C programmes by the graduates.
The graduation ceremony was the last one for the outgoing A.P.T.C Samoa Country Manager, Francis Howes and for Seiuli Paul Wallwork in his role as the Samoan country representative to the A.P.T.C Advisory Group.
“The pride and excitement on the faces of the graduates and their families reflects the hard work and achievements of these successful Samoan graduates. Particularly, I want to thank the entire staff of APTC who work so hard every day to help students achieve their goals so they too can achieve an Australian qualification,” said Ms. Howe. The event also marked a number of key highlights which included:
For the first time in the Pacific, students who have graduated in Certificate III in Nutrition. All students in this program were Samoans. This program is supported by the Ministry of Health, National Health Service, ADRA, Special Olympics and the Australian Government.
16 graduates completed Certificate III in Disability that was delivered on a part time basis to special needs teachers for children with disabilities in primary schools throughout Samoa.
13 graduates in Certificate III in Carpentry were previously graduates of the Certificate II in Construction from villages in the south west of Samoa that were devastated by Cyclone Evan.
As part of their training, students helped build more than 200 fales in the villages for families from the additional funding made available by the Australian Government. The students underwent a further 15 weeks of training in Fiji to achieve the tradesperson’s qualification of Certificate III in Carpentry. Two of these graduates are women.
Training for graduates in Certificate III in Hospitality (Lodge) was provided through the joint collaboration between APTC and the Samoa Tourism Authority (STA). These graduates were employed in the tourism sector which was badly by Cyclone Evan.
Training was also delivered to food vendors and stall-holders in Food Hygiene and Preparation as well as other short courses to targeted sectors of the tourism industry in preparation for the Small Island Development States (SIDS) Conference and the Teuila festival. A total of 399 Samoans received training from APTC as part of the Tourism Cyclone Recovery program that was funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme.
According to a recent A.P.T.C survey, the employment rate of Samoan graduates from APTC was 97 per cent. Over 950 Samoan citizens have graduated from A.P.T.C since the college was established in 2007.
*With additional information from the A.P.T.C Communications team
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