The Bridging course is designed in partnership with ChildFund Kiribati to create an education pathway for early school leavers and youth without employment.

Students complete a Certificate I in Bridging over a 12 month period and is delivered by KIT with support from ChildFund Kiribati Youth Workers. The Bridging course has been delivered ongoing since 2017 and to date has been delivered to communities in Betio, Bonriki and Abemama.

From 2020 the Certificate I in Bridging is accredited under the Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP) of The Pacific Community (SPC). The course is quality assured through the Pacific Qualifications Framework.

The objectives of the Bridging course are:

• To improve the employability and language skills of I-Kiribati youth so they can secure employment.
• To enhance the opportunities for ongoing learning for disengaged young people.

• The course is subject to on-going quality assurance checks through the Pacific Community and builds the same skills, knowledge and attributes as an Australian equivalent course.
• On successful completion of the course, students gain an EQAP accredited qualification which is recognised across the Pacific region. They are also then eligible to apply for KIT mainstream courses across a range of trade and non-trade qualification areas.
• Our dedicated Bridging staff are passionate about providing education opportunities for youth who have not completed their secondary schooling and apply a wide range of learning methodologies and approaches to engage students.
• Staff are consistently up skilled and trained by specialised short and long term Australian technical advisers.
• The KIT campus provides a friendly, safe, and clean environment to learn in, with all the latest equipment for practical training.
• All students participate in relevant practical activities, and learn work related technical skills.

The KIT Bridging course is aimed specifically at young people who have not completed their junior secondary schooling and are unemployed. Studying Bridging at KIT will provide a pathway to further education opportunities at KIT or employment through the Pacific Labour Scheme or the Seasonal Workers Program. The course has been designed with a focus on building students’ English language proficiency and core employability skills including numeracy and problem solving, working with others, and computing skills, so that they are confident and study or work ready on completion of the course.

The Bridging course is delivered to young men and young women within a local community and a range of selection criteria are used to identify suitable applicants. ChildFund Kiribati is responsible for running community consultations and selecting eligible students to participate, ensuring that the mix of students is representative of the different communities and of the different religious groups in the area. The Bridging course is offered to young men and young women in separate cohorts, to better support them in their learning journey. Participants need to be literate in Te-Kiribati for entry into the course and the course begins in Te-Kiribati and progresses to English as students build their skills and confidence throughout the qualification.

COURSE CRITERIA

To be eligible for consideration for the Bridging course, potential participants must meet the following criteria:

• Be aged between 15 and 30 years of age,
• Be able to read and write in Te-Kiribati,
• Have not completed junior secondary schooling,
• Have not attended school for at least the previous two years,
• Are not enrolled in any other training or learning program.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• English language – reading, writing, speaking, listening,
• Computing and IT skills,
• Personal development,
• Numeracy and problem-solving skills,
• Work health and safety,
• How to plan and organise work,
• How to communicate effectively in the workplace,
• Sport activities and teamwork,
• Basic carpentry and joinery skills,
• Basic painting skills,
• How to use a range of trade tools and equipment.

COURSE DURATION

• The Bridging course is delivered over four terms (12 months, full time) and includes a practical component where students undertake a building or renovation project within their local community.
• Lunch and transport is provided each day for Bridging students as well as work boots and socks, and all necessary course materials.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about the Certificate I in Bridging at KIT please contact us by telephone on +686 751 26516 or email info@kit.edu.ki