'Te Katiteuanaaki' Kiribati for Inclusion

Kiribati Institute of Technology’s flexible approach to skills training delivery is building a more capable and mobile I-Kiribati workforce. Flexible skills delivery involves course delivery and other services offered on campus, such as the Employment Support Services unit, Recognition of Prior Learning assessment and more recently, responding to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Kiribati Institute of Technology conducts labour market studies to respond to local and international employment opportunities. The data from the studies is used to align local skills supply with skills demand through Kiribati Institute of Technology certificate and short courses. The Employment Support Services unit delivers pre-departure training for overseas employment, organised by the Ministry of Employment and Human Resource. Pre-departure training is delivered for programs, such as the Pacific Labour Facility and the New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme. The Kiribati Facility supports partnerships with Australian Registered Training Organisations that conduct Recognition of Prior Learning assessment for Kiribati Institute of Technology students who have successfully completed their training. Eligible students receive an internationally recognised Australian vocational education and training qualification. The focus on international collaboration has continued in the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The Kiribati Facility is a key partner in the Australian Government’s Partnerships for Recovery – Australia’s COVID-19 Development Response, contributing to economic prosperity and social stability in Kiribati through Kiribati Institute of Technology. Kiribati Institute of Technology has pivoted its skills training and employment focus, through flexible mechanisms, towards increasing local employment opportunities and drawing upon established programs to reach vulnerable communities. Modes of skills training delivery have expanded to include strategies that support inclusive education, by removing barriers for students with a disability to enrol and access mainstream education, addressing digital technology capabilities, and providing professional development for trainers. Through the Business Incubator Group, Kiribati Institute of Technology has seen an uptake in civic infrastructure and public hygiene projects commissioned by local and international organisations. A section of Kiribati Institute of Technology’s Bikenibeu Campus is host to the Government of Kiribati’ quarantine facility, as part of the national COVID-19 response. Flexible skills training: supporting a more capable and I-Kiribati workforce Accounting students (Certificate and Short Courses offered). Diploma of Nursing students. 16