Common local terms include continuing and community education, short courses, workforce development, professional development, in-service training, reskilling and skills-based qualifications. Formal options include Fiji National University (FNU) TVET programmes from Certificate II to IV and Diploma level, FNU National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) courses, apprenticeships and Trade Testing, University of the South Pacific (USP) Pacific TAFE Certificates, Diplomas and Professional Diplomas, Workforce Development and Training Unit (WDTU) skills sets and Certificates of Attainment, and Fiji Maritime Academy refresher, pre-sea and ratings courses. The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training oversees the TVET context, while the Higher Education Commission Fiji (HEC) registers higher-education institutions. The Fiji National Qualifications Framework (FNQF) has 10 levels and covers quality-assured awards from Certificate to Doctorate. Only qualifications from registered institutions and accredited programmes receive formal national recognition; attendance at a short course does not automatically create an FNQF qualification. Non-formal options include NTPC community-based education and training, rural and maritime TVET, USP Lautoka Continuing and Community Education (CCE) professional short courses and community workshops, and employer or in-house training. Examples of skills courses include solar installation, caregiving, cookery, plumbing, electrical work, business and computing. Informal learning includes on-the-job practice, employer mentoring, self-directed digital learning and community knowledge. Fiji has no single state system that records or recognises all informal learning. Access depends on the provider and course. NTPC may accept participants without formal educational qualifications, while FNU and USP formal programmes apply their own entry criteria. USP CCE offers online and face-to-face formats, with professional courses commonly lasting one day to two weeks and community workshops one to two days. FNU also offers regional and maritime outreach. MHMS compliance and professional-development training is delivered through an internal portal for authorised employees, usually with access arranged through a human-resources or training officer. FNU students can use free, non-credit, self-paced enrichment courses that take about six hours and may provide an e-badge. Costs vary by course, provider, format and funding source. A 2026 NTPC community non-formal education example lists a FJD 410 registration fee for a Certificate of Attainment course, usually lasting about two weeks in Ba, Nadi, Suva or Lautoka. A 2026 FNU NTPC award-course schedule lists a general annual fee of FJD 53 before tuition; USP CCE prices are not published as one standard amount. Employers commonly pay for workplace or in-house training. Course calendars run throughout the year, while maritime courses follow fixed 2026 intake months, and places, locations, dates and course availability can change. The Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Service (TSLS) lists several 2026 funding schemes. The Micro Qualification and Competency Based Training Grant provides 2,500 grants and generally requires Fiji citizenship, about three years of residence, an age of at least 17, an offer letter and no employment during the funded period. The Skills Qualification Scholarship provides 4,500 awards for Certificate III or IV and Diploma level 5 or 6 programmes, subject to citizenship, residence and means-test conditions. The In-Service Public Sector scheme provides 50 tuition-only awards through nomination by a permanent secretary or agency head. These conditions apply to the relevant scheme and do not create a general funding guarantee. A provider's registration, the programme's accreditation, attendance rules, assessment method, fee conditions and any bond or TSLS obligation affect the value and consequences of a course. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Recognition of Current Competence (RCC) can assess existing work or life experience, and credit transfer may connect previous learning to a further qualification when the provider permits it. Fiji's National Education Policy Framework 2024–2033 promotes lifelong learning, recognition of prior learning, continuous upskilling and reskilling, inclusion and rural and maritime access. The National Development Plan 2025–2029 emphasises skills gaps, youth employment and programmes linked to work. Professional CPD or licensing duties remain occupation-specific, such as MHMS compliance training, and no general legal entitlement to employer-funded training or education leave is established for all workers.
Upskilling in Fiji
Upskilling in Fiji includes organised courses, workplace training and self-directed learning that update, deepen or broaden skills or support a career change. The system is institutionally fragmented rather than organised through one national continuing-education service. Formal qualifications, short courses and informal learning differ in recognition, entry requirements, cost and evidence of skills.
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