Five institutions have agreed to stop offering short courses and register to deliver the National Certificate in Aged Care and Community ( Level 3).
The institutions include Lumiere Health Services, Caregiving School of Excellence, Service Pro International Tourism and Hospitality, Caregivers Services Professional Institute, and Prestige Caregiving Fiji met with the Fiji Higher Education Commission (FHEC) to arrive at this consensus.
The meeting was chaired by the FHEC Chair, Mr Steve Chand whose initiative brought the institutions together. It was the first time for these institutions to come together on a collaborative platform.
The vast demand for caregivers through the Pacific Australia Labour Market (PALM) scheme and opportunities offered by other countries call for qualified caregivers, and short courses won’t equip our local people for this demand.
FHEC Director, Dr Rohit Kishore reminded the institutions that the FHEC is mandated to protect the interest of learners and seek the cooperation of the institutions in this regard.
The discussions centred on the nature of the course, the sensitivity of the work, the intensity of the competencies required and the ethical and safety
The institutions in this meeting agreed unanimously to stop offering short courses and look forward to upgrading their programmes into full qualifications, especially in offering the national certificate.
The institutions are also looking at forming a Professional Body to look into the Caregiving courses provided in Fiji. The FHEC Chair explained that the meeting was a successful one noting its positive outcomes.
