The Vanuatu Rural Development Training Centre Association (VRDCTA) and Peace Corps volunteers are already working hard to establish the first level of rural training
VIT Rural Training
Posted Thursday, October 23, 2003
The Eton Primary School grounds were not quiet and deserted over the mid-term break. All the classrooms and the playground were filled with new students - not primary school children, but their mothers, fathers, uncles and grandparents! Vanuatu Institute of Technology, with the support of AusAID, had "gone on the road" to test some of its courses to see if they could be easily offered in a rural village like Eton.
At the recent opening of AusAID funded buildings at VIT, Prime Minister Hon Edward Natapei commented that the training provided through VIT could contribute to the development of economic growth in rural areas by establishing rural training campuses envisaged by Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) plans.
VIT Principal Daniel Lamoureux pointed out that Vanuatu has to be aware of the growing number of young people pushed out of the current formal education system ,with no real life skills and training, and commented: "This will be a real "time bomb" for Vanuatu's future economic social and political stability if we don't all get together now - the Vanuatu government, NGOs and donors - to tackle this issue.
The Vanuatu Rural Development Training Centre Association (VRDCTA) and Peace Corps volunteers are already working hard to establish the first level of rural training. If VIT could set up 6 rural campuses, one in each province, then we could take on the graduates at these rural campuses who want to go onto further studies after graduating from courses offered by various NGOs and non-formal training providers such as the Rural Training Centres."
VIT would like to use some of the training courses already prepared under the AusAID funded project at VIT and use them at its rural campuses. VIT then would develop new courses at a higher level - post year 13 - to take the graduates from the rural campuses wanting higher qualifications to its campus in Vila. However, first VIT has to decide which courses requested by rural communities would be easily delivered at rural campuses.
Some training has already been delivered by VIT in Tanna, with courses identified by local communities and the new Provincial Training Boards responding to the training needs identified in the REDI plans. Already 36 community trainers from Tafea have graduated through the VIT Train the Trainer Programme.
Recently, this approach was put to the test at Eton Village, with VIT trainer Daniel Lamoureux and AusAID advisor David Rogers, who gave up their mid-term break to travel out to Eton to deliver practical VIT courses in solar power panel installation and maintenance, 2 and 4 stroke engine repairs, welding (light fabrication), car/truck maintenance, motor maintenance and house wiring. The Eton chiefs coordinated the day with the VIT trainers and over 30 men and women from Eton gained valuable skills from participating in the courses.
By the end of the training sessions, Eton villagers proudly displayed the results of their work in the Community Library, such as hoes or fire guards made in the light fabrication course.
The verdict on the courses? "Emi numba wan!"
