THE Secretariat of the Pacific Community's Community Education Training Centre (CETC) has started its 50th Community Development Program.
This year marks the golden jubilee of the centre's contribution to the region.
Speaking during the opening of the ceremony at Narere, Fiji's roving ambassador to the Pacific, Litia Mawi said the centre had already delivered 49 such programs to Pacific communities.
Ms Mawi said this residential seven-month community development program would be phased out to the USP.
"This 50th course will mark the closing of an era," she said. "The baton that will be handed over to the USP is a flagship program for SPC that has effectively served our Pacific communities in the past five decades." And for those who were not yet involved, Ms Mawi said the centre was one of the SPC's oldest programs, having been established as a training program for women in its first training venue at Nabua where the SPC Suva main office was now housed.
"CETC indeed has come a long way," Ms Mawi said.
"I take this opportunity to salute the CETC and SPC for this wonderful program and the impressive impact through the work of its graduates across the entire Pacific oceanscape."
Ms Mawi saluted SPC for its support of women via programs such as CETC.
She said as the oldest regional organisation and marking its 66th year of service, SPC should be commended for its commitment to developing capacities of our Pacific people through technical programs and on behalf of the government of Fiji
Since 1963, 1700 women and about 500 entrepreneurs and business support service providers have graduated from CETC. This year 32 women will graduate with an accredited certificate Level 3 in Applied Community Development Studies in October.