Australia will fund 500 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) scholarships in 2025 for young Solomon Islanders.
Under the Solomon Islands-Australia Partnership, the Australia Skills Award will be delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development (MEHRD) to provide greater access to quality TVET qualifications for Solomon Islanders.
Valued at SBD7.2 million for the 2025 academic year, these scholarships will cover the costs of 500 students’ tuition fees, meals and accommodation at 10 Rural Training Centres across Solomon Islands.
The funding agreement was signed by the Minister for Education and Human Resources Development, Tozen Leokana, and the Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Rod Hilton, at the Don Bosco Technical Institute, east of Honiara.
Minister Leokana thanked Australia for delivering on the commitment of 500 TVET scholarships for Solomon Islands, as announced by Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong during her visit in 2024.
“The funding received will strengthen skills development and education provision in Solomon Islands, and on behalf of the Government of Solomon Islands, I would like to say, we deeply value the partnership between our two countries,” Minster Leokana said.
“This support aligns with my ministry’s ongoing TVET reforms. We are now working on a TVET Bill, which will provide a strong framework for the management and development of TVET programs in the country,” he added.
High Commissioner Hilton said Australia’s funding of the 500 scholarships will help develop a skilled workforce and boost economic development in Solomon Islands.
“Our two nations have worked closely together to strengthen education and skills in Solomon Islands for more than a generation now,” Hilton said.
“We will continue to support tertiary education and the TVET sector in Solomon Islands, so young Solomon Islanders get the right skills and knowledge they need to address the challenges of tomorrow,” he added.
The students will gain qualifications, some of which are Australian accredited, in a range of sectors such as construction, automotive, tourism, hospitality and agribusiness.
The TVET qualifications will give them work-ready skills and the experience they need to get a job and contribute to the growth of the Solomon Islands economy.
Australia funded 494 TVET scholarships in 2024.
The Australia Skills Award scholarships are in addition to Australia’s long-standing skills program, the Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC), which has delivered over 16,000 qualifications in Solomon Islands, including in Rural Training Centres across Guadalcanal, Malaita, Western and Isabel Provinces.
Source: Australian High Commission
