55 Students Pilot Initiative in North to Gain Work Experience
Fifty-five Year 11 students from Vanua Levu will experience first-hand the World of Work initiative in the first two weeks of the school holidays.
The initiative is aimed at preparing students for their future careers.
The programme, known as the Student Employment Exposure Programme, was launched in the North last week in Labasa by the Minister for Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations and Youth and Sports, Parveen Bala.
Part of the selection process was identifying students from challenging backgrounds who were academically oriented.
“It is envisaged that the 55 students selected to pilot this Government initiative in the North will be able to get first-hand experience through the exposure and acquire the necessary basic transitional knowledge, skills and job etiquette expected by employers in readiness for the world of work,” Mr Bala said.
“You must also grasp the soft skills during your placements; show respect, listen to instructions, communicate clearly and always be punctual to work,” he said.
Mr Bala reminded the students that they would be in a totally new work environment.
The students are expected to maximise their knowledge and experience in the companies they are assigned.
Ayush Swarath Chand of Valebasoga Secondary School said he looked forward to knowing more about the work of an architect. Eleven schools in the Northern Division were part of the launching programme at Labasa Civic Centre.
The programme was initiated in 2018 in partnership with the Ministry of Education, International Labour Organisation Office of the Pacific (ILO), the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.