Graduates ready for work force

By Vatapuia Maiava 17 December 2016, 12:00AM

Twenty-eight graduates of the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour’s (M.C.I.L.) Apprenticeship Scheme are ready for the work force. 

The four-year programme which took students through theoretical and practical aspects of skill improvement in their fields has prepared them and now it’s time for them to shine.

The Chief Executive Officer of M.C.I.L, Pulotu Lyndon Chu Ling, said it’s an exciting time for the graduates.

 “I guess one of the important aspects of this programme was to assist with the up skilling of our workers in terms of the different trades that they pursue in life,” he said.

“We all know that our people are very skillful in all the different industries but we need to formalise their training. So the apprenticeship programme provides that formal aspect of the training.”

Pulotu continued on to explain a little more about how much the students have to go through in order to graduate.

“Today we see some very happy parents and families of the students who have survived the four years of theoretical and practical programmes,” he said.

“As you know, the apprenticeship programmes are comprised of two components. The first one is the theoretical aspect, which is provided by the National University of Samoa.

“It requires more than 800 hours a year for four years. The other component is the practical aspect which is provided by the employers in the work place.

“The apprentices have to work for more than 7,000 hours for four years in order for the full assessment to be completed and for them to be awarded with their certificate.”

And looking on into the future, Pulotu says that he wishes to see more take part in the program.

“So it’s a very significant event,” he said. “We hope to see more graduates of the programme, especially the females because today we also celebrated one of the females who have successfully graduated under the carpentry trade.

“So we are very proud of her, as well as the other graduates but we hope to see more female graduates in the future.”

But where to from here for the graduates?

“They are already employed but now they will be subject to further salary reviews by their employers,” Pulotu said. “And also they will be subject to other opportunities where their skills will be required because they have now been formalized. So there will be a big opportunity for them in the long term.”

By Vatapuia Maiava 17 December 2016, 12:00AM

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