The Australia Pacific Training Coalition (A.P.T.C.) and Nuanua o le Alofa Incorporated [N.O.L.A.] have signed a partnership agreement.

The agreement was penned at the N.U.S. Visions Restaurant and builds on several years of collaboration between the two organisations. 

Their shared objectives include supporting greater equal access opportunities and enabling environments for training and employment through reasonable accommodations, increased national capacity and capability in training and support services for persons with disabilities and demonstrate collective action and effective partnering to build coalitions for enhanced outcomes and reform. 

The Ministry of Women Community and Social Development’s Assistant Chief Executive Officer, Sauoaiga Olive Kaio, highlighted their partnership’s contribution to Samoa's goal of improving the quality of life for all during her keynote address.

"We acknowledge the fundamental work carried out by N.O.L.A. as a national advocacy organisation for persons with disabilities in Samoa, on bringing the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to life though their ceaseless efforts in promoting quality and inclusivity.”

She also acknowledged the work of the A.P.T.C. since its establishment in 2007 as a quality education provider.

"The Australia Pacific training coalition has demonstrated strong presence in the Pacific since its arrival in 2007, providing high quality vocational and technical courses to students who have gone on to contribute to productivity in Samoa’s workforce."

The A.P.T.C. Country Director [Tonga and Samoa], Cheri Robinson Moors, said the A.P.T.C. in Samoa is fortunate to have a partnership with N.O.L.A. and added that supporting persons living with disability can require change, innovation and adaptation.

"To be able to accommodate persons with disabilities, N.O.L.A. is the best people to be able to tell us what we need to work on and what accommodation we need to make so that we can support persons with disabilities," she said in her speech. "So while we’ve been trying to support training for persons with disabilities, they have been training us and teaching us as well.

"So we’re trying to put together our lessons and advocate with N.O.L.A. and let other training providers know that you can support persons with disabilities."

Ms Moors said that N.O.L.A. had supported the A.P.T.C. with braille services and had facilitated sign language interpreters for their training. 

And at every point during the training when they had challenges, N.O.L.A was there to support them and ensure that the students and the course that they were delivering were achieved. 

She added that for the very first time the A.P.T.C. will offer a new course targeting women and persons with disabilities. 

"The training that A.P.T.C. offers this semester for the first time which was targeted to women and persons with disabilities Certificate 2; skills for work and vocational pathways.

“So it’s a six month training program that’s targeted to build the language literacy and numeracy skills of its participants and also support them with employability skills.

"So that at the end of the course they’re in a better position to either pursue additional training or seek employment."