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East Central Guadalcanal has signed a historic agreement with the Canadian International Training and Education Corporation (CITREC).
Hundreds of voters attended a ceremony in Ora to sign the agreement, which was also attended by members of the Guadalcanal Provincial Council, chiefs, community and church leaders and youth.
Lazarus Alfred Rimah, MP for East Central Guadalcanal, welcomed the partnership when the agreement was signed, saying his constituents look forward to the opportunity to receive a Canadian education that will equip them with Canadian standards while pursuing labour mobility opportunities with Canadian employers.
CITREC Chairman, Guest of Honour Mr. Ashwant Dwivedi said that the inclusion of East Central Guadalcanal voters in the scheme was God’s will and the dream of newly elected MP Mr. Rima and many ECG voters.
Chairman Dwivedi said: “Congressman Rima’s foresight in undertaking this endeavour for the people reflects his commitment and dedication to bringing about positive change.”
While signing the agreement, Congressman Lazarus said the program is a remarkable undertaking as the East Central Guadalcanal District is one of the largest districts geographically in the Guadalcanal Province. “We have a population of over 20,000 people and launching the CITREC program directly for my district provides a promising opportunity for my people, especially for the youths and school dropouts.”
“The launch of the CITREC program, therefore, brings hope to my people. During my tenure in Guadalcanal Province, we have witnessed the fruits of the CITREC partnership in transforming the lives of our young people, creating opportunities for education and labour mobility. For the majority of those who now consider Canada their permanent home, they came through the CITREC-Guadalcanal Education and Labour Mobility Partnership. I am confident that my constituents, especially the youth, will soon have access to the same opportunities through our partnership. I cannot wait for my people to put their education and knowledge gained in Canada to use in labour mobility,” said MP Rima at the launch of the program.
“The CITREC program and the opportunities it provides are a household name in the Guadalcanal Province. The program’s initial creation in the past has had a wider impact, having a positive impact on the people of Guadalcanal, which has helped to spark the growing interest among the people of my constituency,” said Hon Rimah.
“The establishment of the CITREC partnership is a boon to the people. It is a dream come true. The establishment of our dream today will bring tremendous benefits not only to my constituents but also to the Guadalcanal Province and the Solomon Islands,” said Congressman Rima.
He further said that the establishment of the CITREC programme would help spark interest among the youths in his constituency who have been seeking such opportunities.
“The permanent residency pathway is in the interest of my people, and CITREC has created a pathway for our people and has been successful,” said Congressman Rima.
“I firmly believe that the implementation of the CITREC program will provide much-needed opportunities for young people to advance their education, training and skills to help them meet Canadian standards and be job-ready.
MP Rima said unfortunately, most of the formally educated young people in his constituency are still looking for opportunities and youth unemployment remains a serious problem.
“Our youths are energetic, enthusiastic and have goals in life. Most of them are university graduates. However, most of them have only received formal education and are unemployed. Our unemployed youth are becoming a big challenge at the national level, so the CITREC program brings hope to them. Their future and the hopes of our community, our constituents, Guadalcanal Province and Solomon Islands rest on them,” said Mr. Rimahe.
Clement Kilua, MP for Ora District in Guadalcanal, also attended the event and appreciated the collaboration.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Honourable Councillor Rimah for taking the initiative to bring CITREC to the people of his constituency which also includes the Aola district which I represent as MPA. The gathering here today to witness this event is a historic event for Aola to host and witness the signing of the agreement. This is both a historic and significant event,” said MPA Kilua.
MPA Kilua said the signing ceremony was also historic as the East Central Guadalcanal District became the first district on Guadalcanal to sign an agreement of this level with CITREC.
MPA Kilua said: “This partnership is historic in the sense that it has now expanded beyond the provincial level to the constituency level. I thank Mr Rimah for this great initiative and the CITREC Chairman for making it possible.”
MPA Kilua also congratulated CITREC for fulfilling the cooperation.
MPA Kilua said, “I am fully aware of the collaboration between CITREC and Guadalcanal through the CITREC program, which has provided the people of Guadalcanal with the opportunity to receive training and work in Canada over the past few years. I must pay tribute to this collaboration, and I am happy to say that I recognize the great benefits of the program because one of the people who went to Canada is from the Aola District.”
He further said that the visit of the CITREC Chairman and the delegation reflected the seriousness and commitment towards community building.
MPA Kilua said: “I hope that your delegation’s visit today will see and identify the greater needs of our constituency in terms of development and most importantly through the opportunities that this partnership will create. This partnership will enhance the training of our young people and in the long term provide Canadian standard education and employment opportunities that will help make a positive contribution to improving our living standards and supporting our local economy.”
During his three-day visit to the Solomon Islands, Chairman Dwivedi also met with officials from the Guadalcanal Province. Governor William Attu stressed that working with the Canadian International Training and Education Corporation (CITREC) is a top priority for the Guadalcanal Provincial Government.
The news was confirmed during an official meeting between Prime Minister Atul and Chairman Dwivedi.
The two leaders met last Tuesday at the Guadalcanal Provincial Headquarters to discuss re-engaging in the CITREC program which was delayed due to the COVID pandemic.
Prime Minister Atul reiterated the government’s commitment to restart the program as soon as possible, in line with the newly launched policy strategy for 2024-2028. He thanked Chairman Dwivedi for his continued support despite the financial difficulties faced by the province.
Guadalcanal is the first province in the Solomon Islands to sign a cooperation agreement with CITREC, creating a pathway to permanent residency in addition to seasonal labor mobility.
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