SOUTH Seas Group’s charity arm Vinaka Fiji has launched the Solia Lesu program opening new opportunities for practical skills training for resource owners.
Vinaka Fiji general manager Alalaini Naqoli said the program was designed to ensure communities connected to SSCG were able to benefit from opportunities created through the Group’s continued growth.
“Solia Lesu is about taking opportunity directly to our communities,” Ms Naqoli said.
“We recognise that talent exists everywhere, but access to training, employment information and employers can sometimes be limited by distance and resources. Rather than waiting for people to come to us, we take the opportunity to their doorstep.”
The initiative, however, does not solely focus on training.
Ms Naqoli said the community workshops would put together a talent pool enabling participants to register their interest in employment opportunities within the company.
“This is what we want Solia Lesu to achieve, turning learning into tangible opportunity,” Ms Naqoli said.
“Training is valuable, but wherever possible, we also want to create a direct pathway from training to employment.”
The program also provides Vinaka Fiji with an opportunity to better understand the needs of communities and develop initiatives in response.
In Soso Village, Yasawa, the program identified a number of experienced boat operators that needed formal licences required to advance professionally within the maritime sector.
In response, Vinaka Fiji, with the support of South Sea Cruises Group, organised a five-day boat master training program.
“The boat master program demonstrates the importance of listening first and responding to what communities actually need,” she said.
“Instead of asking participants to travel elsewhere for the training, we brought the training to the community and helped remove some of the barriers to accessing professional qualifications.”
