Speaker welcomes Parliament interns

The Hon. Speaker of Parliament, His Excellency Ratu Epeli Nailatikau has emphasised that one of the most important tasks in any society is the education and training of young people.

Whilst welcoming the interns this morning, Hon. Speaker highlighted that work-related training is of great value for young people who attempt to enter the workforce.

“It is the key to employment, progress and a strong society and economy; this essential education and training is also the case for the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji.”

“There are different ways of obtaining such training and one is to establish internship programmes. These have gradually become the norm for many organisations, which reflects the great value of such programmes.”

“Internships assist you to pave your career path; not only will it broaden your horizons by immersing you in the real working environment of Parliament but it will also deepen your knowledge and understanding of Parliament, its goals, principles and activities,” Hon. Ratu Epeli said.

For 22-year-old Rupeni Mudunavuku, being accepted as an intern in Parliament is a privilege and is looking forward to learn and understand the overall operations of Parliament.

“As a young aspiring leader, I hope to be trained on the day-to-day operations of Parliament and to learn from experienced and seasoned staff in building the foundation of a successful future career.”

“More specifically, I am eager to gather the relevant technical skills from the Tables and Committees Unit where I will be posted to,” Mr Mudunavuku said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by 2015 Youth Member of Parliament, Zakiyyah Ali.

“I was here as part of the 2015 Youth Parliament and I look forward to using this internship as an opportunity to gain an enhanced understanding of how the legislative arm of the State works.”

“I majored in law and economics in university and have an interest in social and economic policy in terms of long term career aspirations. I hope that this experience will enhance my understanding of how the political landscape fits together,” Ms Ali said.

The Fijian Parliament is thankful to the UNDP Fiji Parliament Support Project for the support towards the internship programme. The Project is generously supported by the Governments of Australia, Japan and New Zealand.

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