New PENAMA Skills Centre provides economic boost to the province
November 3, 2024 10:07 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
The Australian High Commissioner to Vanuatu, Max Willis, the Minister of Health, John Still Tari Quetu, representing the Vanuatu Government, and Director John Kaltau from the Ministry of Education and Training, officially opened the Penama Skills Centre on Thursday, bringing new economic opportunities to the province.
Supported by the governments of Vanuatu and Australia through the Vanuatu Skills Partnership (VSP), the PENAMA Skills Centre will be the primary coordination mechanism for the delivery of in-demand skills training and business development support for Ambae, Maewo and Pentecost.
The new Skills Centre will benefit the Province, with a population of approximately 35,000 people, providing training and advice to support income generation, employment and small business development.
It is the fifth provincial Skills Centre to be established in Vanuatu through the VSP and is based on the successful models the MALAMPA, SANMA, TAFEA and TORBA Skills Centres.
Speaking at the event, Minister Quetu acknowledged Australia for the ongoing support to Vanuatu’s skills development sector.
“We’re proud to work with Australia to support this vision for the establishment of the PENAMA Skills Centre. It fulfills the government’s vision of decentralising services and skills training to the doorstep of the people of PENAMA. Skills are the engine for building a better Vanuatu – without our own skilled people, we will not see sustainable development,” he said.
The High Commissioner congratulated the province for this significant milestone and reaffirmed Australia’s support for the Vanuatu government’s decentralization goals.
“We want this Skills Centre to transform lives and livelihoods by bringing skills, entrepreneurship and improved service delivery to communities in the outer islands,” the High Commissioner said. “This is a big development for PENAMA and we’re proud to be partners on the project.”
During the launch of the new Skills Centre, the VSP signed a partnership agreement with the provincial government, formalising their already strong relationship and shared commitment for skills development across the province. This agreement will strengthen coordination in implementing PENAMA’s decentralisation plan, with a focus on ensuring inclusive and sustainable economic growth for the people of the province through skills development and market access initiatives.
The PENAMA Skills Centre builds upon the Ambae Volcano Recovery project, which began in 2019, following the Ambae volcano eruption and mass evacuation.
The Australian-funded Recovery Project helped to rebuild the lives and livelihoods of affected communities through providing the skills needed for food security and critical community infrastructure.
The transition of the Ambae Recovery Project to a fully-fledged PENAMA Skills Centre was based on the strong results achieved, and the commitment and co-investment of the PENAMA Provincial Government, the MoET and the Australian Government, through VSK.
