Delegations from 15 Pacific Island countries (PIC), including Tonga, recently attended a workshop to focus on climate change and sustainable energy vocational education, on 8-9 October, 2015, in Fiji.

The Pacific Island countries are part of the European Union’s Pacific Technical Vocational Education Training for Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Adaption (EU-PacTVET) project.

The project is working on developing recognized accreditation in vocational education on climate change and sustainable energy and will build capacity to help communities adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and support the development of sustainable energy in the region.

EU-PacTVET project team leader, Sarah Hemstock said the two-day workshop was organised to help PICs work out their priority areas.

“We are putting in competencies, accreditation and programmes that will benefit all 15 Pacific countries,” she stated.

Some of the common areas highlighted in regards to sustainable energy were the training and upskilling of staff in the vocational sector, installations of solar photovoltaic, and with regards to climate change, balancing traditional and modern knowledge and food and water security.

The EU-PacTVET project, which commenced in August 2014, is a component of the €35 million Adapting to Climate Change and Sustainable Energy programme funded under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF11).

The project is jointly implemented by The University of the South Pacific (USP) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) in partnership with the European Union (EU).

Countries under the project include: Fiji, Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.