Australia Pacific Technical College (APTC) Stage I - II

Detailed description of project:

The Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) is an Australian Government aid program established to deliver a range of Australian qualifications to Pacific Islanders. APTC aims to increase the number of skilled workers in the Pacific by delivering vocational training, and improving regional and international employment and trade opportunities.

Stage One was delivered through a consortium of TAFE Queensland East Coast, Box Hill Institute and Sinclair Knight Mertz . This Stage was successful in delivering Australian qualifications from certificate to diploma level in colleges in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Vanuatu in the automotive, manufacturing, construction, hospitality, tourism and health and community services sectors. APTC Stage I successfully delivered all contractual outcomes in relation to establishment and implementation of the College, with campuses established in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.

In 2011, the consortium had the opportunity to build on the successful first phase of the APTC, which provides internationally recognised training in industry sectors across the Pacific. Working together, the APTC, Box Hill Institute, GRM International and TAFE Queensland have collaborated successfully to deliver training to approximately 6,000 graduates since 2007.

The graduate target for APTC Stage II was initially set at 3,450 graduates.  APTC is on track to exceed this target, with a plan to deliver 4,200 graduates by the contract end date.  Feedback from the 2013 APTC Student Tracer surveys report that 95% of graduates were satisfied with their course and that graduates continue to have high employability with 93% in employment at the time of the survey. Furthermore, 87% of employers surveyed reported that graduates had improved the work standards of other employees or improved the productivity of their organisations.

Dates: July 2007 - ongoing