NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING DEPARTMENT

A training scheme that is administered and monitored and involves the active participation of the Employer, Apprentice and TPAF

Background

The Scheme was introduced in 1963 by the Ministry of Labour and administered by the Fiji Apprenticeship Council which was set up then.
In 1974 the responsibility for the Scheme was passed to the then FNTC – Fiji National Training Council and its National Apprenticeship Training Board.
With the renaming of FNTC to TPAF in 2003, the responsibility for all apprenticeships was passed on to the National Standards and Accreditation Council – one of the 3 regulatory bodies of TPAF.
Also appointed was the National Apprenticeship Training Advisory Committee which governs and sets the standards for training, including policy matters.

The Scheme

86 employers are involved in the Apprenticeship scheme (Central Division 39 / Northern Division 15 / Western Division 32) with more than 500 apprentices currently in training. The Scheme has 23 Trades in the Trade Certificate category and 5 in the Technician field

How to Join the Apprenticeship Scheme

• Apply directly to the employer
• Some employers also advertise for apprenticeship intakes where candidates may apply
• A list of employers authorised to engage in apprenticeship training is available on request from TPAF
• New employers who wish to engage in apprenticeship training are required to apply to TPAF for permits to train apprentices

Basic Entry Requirements

• Must be capable of completing the theoretical part of the training at FIT or other approved institutions
• May be exempted in part(s) of theoretical training which the apprentice may have done prior to joining the scheme
• Minimum age for apprenticeship is 15 years
• There is no maximum age limit for entry into the scheme but good health is necessary as a medical certificate is required before registration

Contract of Apprenticeship

Apprentices are indentured under a form of contract conforming to the Apprenticeship Order under the Fiji National Training Act (Chap 93). The contract is between the:

• Employer
• Apprentice; and
• Director General of TPAF

If the apprentice is under the age of 18 years, a parent or guardian will be required to sign as guarantor for the apprentice. The contract is made under the Apprenticeship Order to enable the apprentice and the employer to fulfil their obligations and responsibilities during the term of apprenticeship. This contract, after being fully completed and signed by all parties is submitted to the TPAF for registration. After registration, the TPAF keeps its own copy and forwards the other two copies to the employer where:

• the employer retains the original; and
• gives the apprentice his copy

This contract is fulfilled on the successful completion of the apprenticeship when the apprentice becomes a qualified tradesman.

Probationary Period

A probationary period of 6 months is allowed from the date of registration of contract. This serves to:

• allow the employer to assess if the apprentice has the right aptitude for the chosen trade; and
• give the apprentice a chance to decide whether to continue in the trade

The Trades in Apprenticeships Trade Certificate Category

Aims

• To fulfill a national requirement for persons with technical and mechanical problem solving abilities and capabilities to fill the skills gap that is in existence
• To satisfy a need imposed by customers (industries and employers) for personnel with technical abilities, know-how, talents and proficiency to do required work
• To arm personnel with the ability and discipline to enact productivity and excellence in the performance of any given task or required work
• To increase the number of Professionals in industries; that have a trade, are qualified, capable, competent, efficient and productive
• To maintain the relevance of training that meets the needs and expectations of industries

National Apprenticeship Training Department Training under Apprenticeship

Theoretical

The Fiji Institute of Technology provides the apprentices with the necessary theoretical training however, the National Apprenticeship Training Department is responsible for:

i) Organizing all registered apprentices to attend classes and placing them in their respective courses on term basis (Blocks) at the Fiji Institute of Technology.
ii) Informing apprentices through their respective employers of the exam results and of any resit/repeats requirements.
iii) Monitoring attendance and progress through each stage and providing counseling where necessary.

Practical

The National Apprenticeship Training Department is responsible for ensuring the quality and standard of practical training to apprentices in accordance with the prescribed on-the-job training guides. Inspections and consultations are therefore carried out at least 3 times a year on all apprentices in the country.

The apprentices are inspected on the job site to ascertain the type of job situation they are working in and how effectively the different aspects of their training guide is covered. Detailed discussions with relevant personnel are held to ascertain an apprentice’s progress at work. A report with appropriate recommendation is then made available to the apprentice, employer and a copy kept at the TPAF for records.

Promotion & Marketing of the Apprenticeship Scheme

The National Apprenticeship Training Department (NATD) is campaigning for Gender Equality in Apprenticeship training and is promoting the Scheme nationwide. This is to provide information and help to all (females and males) who wish to pursue a career in the technical and engineering trades and obtain accreditation and certification.

Certificates Issued Under Apprenticeship

The apprenticeship certificates issued by the Authority have been given both local and international recognition. The following certificates are issued:

1. Trade/Technician Course Certificate

The award of the Trade/Technician Course Certificate is subject to the successful completion of the institutional training at FIT

2. Certificate of Apprenticeship

The award of the Craft /Technician Certificate of Apprenticeship is dependent on the successful completion and mastery of the various skills of the respective trade as prescribed in the training guide.

Financial Assistance under Apprenticeship

According to the Training & Productivity Authority of Fiji Act, the employer is required to purchase all the trade tools as prescribed in the approved tool list and deduct the total amount spent on essential tools, less $450 or 50% of the cost of essential tools, whichever is less, from the pay of the apprentices. This amount of the total cost of the essential tools will be paid to the employer when an application is made to the Authority by completing the standard application forms.

1. Daily Residential Grant

When an apprentice attends FIT or other approved institution for theoretical studies the Authority will pay the normal grants as applicable to other classification of workers. Employers qualify for residential grants when an apprentice boards in the hostel or rents a room while attending the prescribed course of instruction and the employer pays the boarding fees or rent. Only method “B” employers are eligible for this grant.

The table of grants payable is as follows:

2. Travelling Allowance

The employer is required by the Training Act to meet the travelling cost of apprentices travelling from their station to FIT to attend block release courses. When an application is lodged by the employer on the forms provided by the Authority, the Authority pays 50% of the bus fare for travelling within Viti Levu or 75% of fare for travelling from other islands to attend a block release course in Viti Levu.

If the residential grant is paid, the travelling allowance will be paid only at the beginning and at the end of the course.

Apprenticeship Awards

Each year the Authority offers awards to the best apprentice in each designated trade and to the overall best apprentice. These awards provide a strong competition amongst apprentices and create an attitude of achieving excellence in them. The selection of the award winners is made on the following basis.

• Academic record
• Employer’s assessment
• TPAF officers’ assessment

Introduction of new trends in Training

With the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) being developed by TPAF it has been necessary to introduce the Competency Based Training (CBT) format for the Apprenticeship Scheme. This new training concept is based more on the individual’s ability and competence to achieve the desired results and output which allows for accreditation and certification at a given qualification level in the NQF; from Level 1 Basic to Level 4 Trade Certificate. The NQF will also help identify individual skills gap, when compared to the different qualification levels in the Framework

The CBT format is such that training is not time-based, as currently stipulated for 4-5 years in the current Apprenticeship Scheme, but conducted at a pace suitable to the individual’s capacity for learning and training until achievement of the qualification. The required practical training for each trade is more specific as to the tasks allocated, repetition of tasks completed, and hours spent on the job and the assessment of performance and competence shown. Theoretical and technical training will be conducted according to the individual skills gap that has been identified. For employers, the CBT levels of qualification will provide a more accurate assessment of abilities to do work.

The following trades have already been converted to the CBT format:

• Automotive Mechanic
• Panel Beating
• Fitting & Machining
• Cooks
• Carpentry
• Plumbing
• Joinery & Cabinet Making

Earmarked for CBT inclusion in 2010 are the following:

• Automotive Electrical
• Electrical Fitter Mechanic
• Electronics
• Refrigeration & Air-conditioning
• Welding & Fabricating
• Administration of Apprenticeship

The Apprenticeship Scheme in Fiji is administered by the National Apprenticeship Training Department (NATD) of the Training & Productivity Authority of Fiji (TPAF) from its office at the Training House, 1 Beaumont Road, Narere, Nasinu. The telephone number at the office is 339 2000 ext 211 and fax: 334 0184.