Seventy-three Samoans were awarded participation certificates on Tuesday after completing specialised short courses run by the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC).

The short course training participants received certificates in work health and safety, digital literacy and language, and literacy and numeracy in a graduation ceremony held at the National University of Samoa (NUS) gym.

Families and friends as well as staff from the APTC joined the graduating class at the NUS gym to witness the occasion. 

APTC Country Director (Samoa and Tonga), Lagaaia Lealiifano Easter Manila-Silipa, welcomed everyone to the ceremony and acknowledged the presence of the Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Samoa, Barry Patterson as well as APTC Director (Skills for Training and Employment) Tim Harbinson.

"We welcome you all to the APTC work health and safety, digital literacy, language, literacy and numeracy certificates presentation ceremony." 

The APTC Country Director also conducted the invocation of the program.

Addressing the certificate recipients, Mr. Patterson congratulated the awardees and also acknowledged the hard work of the APTC staff which culminated with such a milestone.

Both Mr. Patterson and Mr. Harbinson presented the certificates to the course recipients before Masunu Timu, who did the Work Health and Safety short course, gave a speech on behalf of his cohort of students.

Lagaaia told the short course certificate recipients that their newly acquired skills will only benefit them in the long-run. 

"We have no doubt that you will continue to achieve many great things with the skills you have worked hard to acquire,” she added. 

“We at APTC are proud to have played a part in your journey. Congratulations once again on your achievement.”

It is understood most of the graduates work for different Samoa Government Ministries including the Ministry of Police and Prisons.