My Personal Journey
As the Program Manager for Australia Awards, Fiji and Tuvalu, I am proud to be part of a team that offer career and leadership building opportunities for Fijian and Tuvaluan citizens. This in turn develops the talent pool for the nations’ government departments and local industries, stimulating regional development and prosperity into the future.
Australia Awards works as part of the Fiji Program Support Facility (The Facility), offering the next generation of global development leaders’ opportunities through various scholarships and training modalities. Through study, research and professional development in Australia or the Pacific, recipients develop the skills and knowledge to drive change and build enduring people-to-people links with Australia.
These programs self-empower Fijian and Tuvaluan future-leaders to enrich their knowledge and skills so they can give back and drive positive change within their local communities.
Sangeeta was born and raised in Fiji, studied abroad and is now home to provide education opportunities for future leaders.
My journey has been one of exploration and growth. Born and raised in Fiji, I was fortunate to receive a scholarship to study the International Baccalaureate program in Canada. This experience broadened my horizons and had a profound impact on my views and thinking. I then received another scholarship to pursue my bachelor’s degree in economics in the US. After four years of study and four years of work at another liberal arts college, I returned home to Fiji in 2011.
I worked at the University of Fiji and the University of the South Pacific before joining Australia Pacific Technical College. This was my first foray into the development space. In 2018, I joined what used to be Coffey, now Tetra Tech International, and have been here for over six years. I started as an Awards Officer, moved up to being an Awards Coordinator, and last year, I stepped into the Program Manager role.
My Role with Tetra Tech
In my role at Tetra Tech, I oversee the implementation of our various programs and ensure that we keep our alumni engaged. We also provide capacity building for our alumni, who often return with technical skills and knowledge from their studies, but may lack other skills needed to drive or influence positive changes in their work sectors.
I am proud to be one of the first local managers for the Facility. The support I received from Tetra Tech and the Facility has been invaluable in my journey. I was provided with a strategic and leadership specialist, who worked with me on a part-time basis to support me in my first year as a manager. This support was crucial in helping me navigate the scope and volume of work in my role.
Australia Awards works as part of the Fiji Program Support Facility, offering the next generation of global development leaders opportunities through education.
The Vision for the Future
Looking to the future, I see how the Australia Awards program has progressed and improved. We have expanded our offerings to include short-term training, and this year, we are implementing short courses. I believe this is a positive direction, and I look forward to seeing how these modalities can be utilised to help fast track capacity building.
I also see room for improvement in our priority settings. I believe we can improve by looking more deeply at where the technical and skills gaps really are and targeting those areas. For example, in the health sector, we know there is a need for infection prevention and control training. In the education sector, we know there is a need for expertise in curriculum development. By targeting these gaps, we can better meet the needs of our communities and contribute to sustainable development.
I am proud of the work we do at Tetra Tech and the Australia Awards program. We are not only building capacity and skills, but we are also empowering future leaders, improving our local communities, and contributing to the sustainable development of Fiji and Tuvalu.
I look forward to continuing this important work and seeing the positive changes it brings about.
Read more about Tetra Tech International’s work with the Fiji Program Support Facility.
