APTC Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary In Solomon Islands

The Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) held a special function to commemorate its 10-year anniversary in the Solomon Islands on 7 November 2017.
The APTC was established in 2007 after it was announced by the Australian Government at the Pacific Islands Forum. Since then, the College has provided internationally-recognised Australian skills and qualifications to more than 11,400 Pacific Islanders, including over 1,200 Solomon Islanders.
Speaking at the event, which was held at the Solomon Islands National University (SINU), the Caretaker Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Mr Manasseh Sogavare congratulated the APTC on reaching the milestone, as well as the Australian Government for establishing APTC, and the positive impact it has had on the skills and knowledge of Solomon Islanders.
“Today, we are reaping the benefits of the foresight and vision of our leaders and the Australian Government. In a space of 10 years, the APTC has grown tremendously with the scores of its students rising year-by-year, and with more and more graduates making their dreams a reality,” he said.
The APTC established its Solomon Islands Campus in 2013, making it the fifth campus in the Pacific region.
The contributions made by the APTC, the Honourable Prime Minister said, will make a lasting impression on the lives of all its graduates for many years to come.
“It is encouraging to see more and more Solomon Islands people taking up opportunities for skills-based training to gain meaningful employment that will help them to raise their standards of living and contribute to our nation’s growth,” he added.

As part of the celebrations, the Deputy Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Mr Michael Hassett, launched APTC’s Impact Stories publication for Solomon Islands.
This publication features stories about the impact of the APTC training on graduates, communities and its contribution to strengthening TVET across Solomon Islands and the Pacific.

“Solomon Islands is benefitting from a more skilled, more productive and more employable workforce, across many industries. The success of the APTC can be seen in the way that quality education and training is changing many lives for the better,” said the Deputy High Commissioner.
The event was part of APTC’s 10 Year Anniversary celebrations that are being held across APTC’s campus countries. The celebrations will conclude in Fiji.
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For more information, please contact the APTC Promotion and Communication Team on email: media@aptc.edu.au or sherita.sharma@aptc.edu.au; phone: +679 702 1819.
APTC is supported by the Australian Government and managed by TAFE Queensland (RTO 0275)