September 11, 2015. The EU funded Training Support to the Sugarcane Industry Project 2014-2017, under its Support to the Sugar Industry Programme (SSIP) continues with the Leader Farmers training workshops in Viti Levu after successful outcomes in Vanua Levu.
Seventy participants attended four workshops that were delivered across the cane production sectors in Vanua Levu recently.
The Manager Fair Trade Coordination Unit Mohammed Habib said they were surprised by the level of appreciation from the participants.
“In each closing session one of the participants moved a Vote of Thanks and mentioned that they had no understanding of some of these things, and acknowledged that they are now better off than before,” Mr Habib said.
He said in the training session for planning, each group were given one of the subjects from the previous technical training and asked to prepare a delivery.
“They were asked to prepare a meeting and demonstration plan. We were surprised at their ability to clearly recall and deliver the activities involved in the various aspects covered in the Technical Training.”
The training workshop organized by the FCU and implemented by the Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC), is aimed at upskilling participants with the capacity to share valuable technical knowledge with other farmers in their clusters.
APTC is a development initiative funded by the Australian Government to deliver training and to increase the supply of skilled workers in targeted sectors in the Pacific region. APTC has campuses in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
APTC’s Business Trainer Kerri Leadbitter, who was one of the trainers, said the participants were elated to be part of the Leader Farmers training initiative.
“The workshop was well received and the participants were eager to learn more organisational, leadership and planning skills. They also learnt about goal setting and training plans which will help the participants train more farmers in their networks,” she said.
She said APTC has worked hard with and in consultation with FCU throughout the planning and delivery of this initiative. According to Ms Leadbitter, the Leader Farmers training initiative was very successful in the Northern division.
In their feedbacks, the participants highlighted that they “enjoyed the training sessions” which was “very good” and they “looked forward to more such courses in the future”.
More workshops are planned over the month potentially engaging more than 200 participants in Viti Levu.
APTC