30 Jul 2007

Australian technical college head says its campuses no threat to Pacific training centres

7:18 pm on 30 July 2007

The head of a new Australian-run technical college that's opened four campuses around the Pacific this week says it poses no threat to local institutions.

The Australia-Pacific Technical College aims to fill critical skill shortages in the Pacific, with campuses in Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa and Papua New Guinea.

It offers Australian qualifications, taught by Australians, in areas such as construction, manufacturing, and hospitality.

A teacher advocate in Fiji, Susana Tuisawau, says the competition could push local technical institutions to the brink of collapse.

But its CEO, Dr Peter Shepherd, says that's wrong.

Dr Shepherd says the Australian college offers courses at a higher level than most, and that's good news for the people of the Pacific.

But he admits that running it will be a challenge.

"This is a unique Australian college in that its area is about two and a half times the size of Australia, and it has 14 countries as constituent members. We're structuring ourselves to visit the small island states to encourage students to join up. You know, it's going to be a big job."

Peter Shepherd says the first course up and running is commercial cookery, taught in Vanuatu.