Minister for Lands Filimoni Vosarogo says the Fiji National University Bill 2026 is a major step towards addressing Fiji’s skills shortage and aligning education with labour market demands.
Speaking in Parliament during the second reading of the Bill, Mr Vosarogo said employers were struggling to fill vacancies across 95 occupations, while thousands of young Fijians continued to graduate without the practical skills required by industry.
He said the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation’s National Skills Gap Assessment highlighted the growing challenge, with the proportion of foreign workers in the formal sector increasing by 79 per cent in recent years.
Mr Vosarogo said the Bill would strengthen FNU’s role in producing work-ready graduates through technical and vocational education, apprenticeships and closer partnerships with employers.
He highlighted Clauses 7 and 8, which provide for employment-focused training, industry partnerships, research and consultancy services.
“This Bill is not just an education Bill. It is a productivity Bill. It is an employment Bill,” he said.
He said FNU had produced thousands of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) graduates between 2019 and 2024, with a target of producing 200,000 graduates by 2030.
The legislation would also strengthen industry participation in university governance by allowing employer organisations and other stakeholders to contribute to decision-making.
Mr Vosarogo said the reforms would help FNU anticipate future workforce requirements and ensure its training programs reflected employers’ needs.
He said past investigations into the university should not delay reforms aimed at creating opportunities for future generations of Fijians.
