The Director of Higher Education Commission Fiji, Dr Rohit Kishore; Representatives of the Higher Education Commission Fiji; Members of the Media – Bula Vinaka, and a very warm welcome to you all.
This afternoon, Outsource Fiji is excited to mark yet another significant milestone in the development of Fiji’s outsourcing industry, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Higher Education Commission Fiji.
As an industry body, Outsource Fiji, in line with our 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, is committed to developing a highly qualified talent pool, which further creates employment opportunities for our people, in an effort to diversify Fiji’s economy. Therefore, signing the MoU with the HEC, and creating this strategic partnership holds immense potential and benefits for the people of Fiji.
Ladies and gentlemen, as an increasing number of businesses outsource their operations to Fiji, there is a growing demand for a skilled and talented workforce. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure that our talent pool is well-equipped and has the necessary training and resources to meet the demands of the global outsourcing market. To achieve this, Outsource Fiji sees the need to continuously update, upgrade and introduce new education and training materials to learning institutions in a timely manner.
A perfect example of this would be the introduction of the Level 3 Certificate in Contact Centre Operations which we launched a few weeks back at the Fiji National University. I must thank Dr Kishore and his team for endorsing the qualification as we managed to get it up and running in just a few short months.
This accomplishment serves as a testament to the plethora of expectations and opportunities that the outsourcing industry has to offer for our people. I am certain that this partnership with the Commission will fuel the development of new skills, foster research, and development, and promote the use of cutting-edge technologies that will catapult our outsourcing industry to new heights.
At this juncture, I wish to announce that through this MoU, Outsource Fiji marks an essential transition for the industry body. While we have predominantly been an advocacy and a membership organization, through this partnership with the Commission, we now plan to venture into developing and delivering training programs as well.
Of course, with our deep industry knowledge and understanding, we are confident to be able to immensely contribute to the education sector by offering specialized training programs tailored to meet the specific requirements of the outsourcing industry. This transition will not only enhance the capabilities of our workforce but also establish Fiji as a hub for outsourcing education and training in the Pacific region.
To pilot this initiative, we are working with our partners such as the LearningPlanet, Skills New Zealand, APTC, Toastmasters International, and the Knowledge Academy to deliver customised training programs in the areas of customer services, cyber security, train the trainer, and other soft skills.
Finally, ladies and gentlemen, the significance of this MoU extends beyond the boundaries of Outsource Fiji and the Higher Education Commission. It symbolizes a collaborative effort to enhance the capabilities of our people; embrace technological advancements; and position Fiji as a global player in the outsourcing industry.
Through this partnership, we can build a vibrant and sustainable outsourcing ecosystem and collaboratively future-proof Fiji’s economy with this OS sector. Thank you.