New accredited Diplomas fosters Pacific resilience champions

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The Pacific Community (SPC) has launched two new accredited qualifications that represent a new standard for resilience competence while strengthening the Pacific’s efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change in the region.  These Diplomas are a first in the Pacific.

The Level 5 and 6 Diplomas in Resilience are the first batch of resilience qualifications at a diploma level that focus on providing the Pacific with graduates who will act as agents for change in their local communities. The regionally endorsed qualifications aim to open new doors for current resilience professionals to advance in their fields and also looks to encourage non-professional volunteers and workers to pursue a career in the region’s resilience sector.

The development of the qualifications was a joint effort between SPC’s Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP) and the Geoscience, Energy and Maritime (GEM) division’s Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change and Resilience (PACRES) project.

PACRES is funded through a partnership between the European Union and the Secretariat of the OACPS, Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.

“The Level 5 & 6 Diplomas in Resilience are regionally endorsed, first of their kind qualifications that stand as a new benchmark for resilience competence in the Pacific, and I want to congratulate SPC for its effort in offering these two much-needed programmes, in a timely manner.” said Dr Rohit Kishore, Director of the Fiji Higher Education Commission.

“Our partnerships and collaboration to support growth in resilience education recognises Pacific solutions for Pacific people to spur professionals in climate resilience” stressed Melinda Mathers, PACRES TVET Coordinator.  The PACRES project has valued regional organisation and institutions sharing information, results and knowledge about climate action to strengthen the Pacific’s capacity to intervene, mitigate and adapt to climate change.  

The Level 5 Resilience qualification introduces trainees to new concepts not covered at Certificate levels, including project prioritisation tools, research methodologies, and promoting a resilience culture in communities and organisations. 

Trainees registered under this course would also be able to specialise in specific vulnerable sectors identified in the region such as: agriculture, coastal management, or human settlements, amongst others.

The Level 6 course is more project focussed and builds on the breadth and depth of the Level 5 course, which includes writing project proposals, accessing climate finance, and developing a leading role in setting a new benchmark for resilience competence in the Pacific.

Rajendra Prasad, EQAP’s Team Leader Qualifications, explained that “the new qualifications have a very strong regional flavour as they are designed to meet the needs of the region. The two courses have been developed and endorsed by experts and stakeholders from the region, are owned by the region, have been accredited by a regional body and will be available for delivery by training providers in the region.”

“Both the development and accreditation processes for the qualifications were very robust, which involved scrutiny, feedback and approval by content specialists and quality assurance experts at different levels,” Prasad added.

The prerequisite to enrolling in the Level 5 Diploma in Resilience includes completion of the Level 4 Certificate in Resilience or any other related field.

Institutions who wish to offer the newly developed courses need to apply for approval with the EQAP team. The Diploma in Resilience will be offered from 2023. 

About PACRES:
Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change and Resilience Building (PACRES) project is committed to ensuring better regional and national adaptation and mitigation responses to climate change challenges. By scaling up the TVET (Technical Vocational Education and Training) capacity building pathway both the Articulated Resilience Qualification Level 2 and 4 and the new Diploma in Resilience level 5 and 6, a first in the Pacific, have been developed. 

Media contact(s):
Jane Rutledge
, Geoscience, Energy and Maritime Division, Pacific Community (SPC) | [email protected]
Sonal Aujla
, Communications and Visibility Officer, Educational Quality and Assessment Programme, Pacific Community (SPC) | [email protected]
For general media enquiries, please contact [email protected]

About SPC:
The Pacific Community has been supporting sustainable development in the Pacific, through science, knowledge and innovation since 1947. It is the principal intergovernmental organisation in the region, owned and governed by its 27 member countries and territories. www.spc.int 
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