Automotive Mechanic Adviser

Closing Date: 19 January 2025

Category: Education & Training

Kia ora, Malo e lelei, Ni sa bula, Talofa lava, Halo, Kia orana, Mauri and warm Pacific greetings,
  
Te Whāinga | Our Purpose is
Te Hono Tangata - Te Huringa Ora.  
Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū. 

Connecting People – Transforming Lives. 
Volunteer Service Abroad connects skilled volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.  

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role
This is your opportunity to become a VSA Volunteer and share your experience, skills and knowledge to serve and capacity build in Fiji. Work alongside our local partner organization to create a fair future for all.
  
VSA will support you by funding and organizing your flights, visas, insurances, accommodation, living allowance and utilities while you are on assignment.
  
If you’re an experienced automotive mechanic or have the right level of transferrable skills; and you’re looking for an opportunity to build capability in the Pacific (while enjoying an extraordinary cultural experience), then please read on to find out more.

This assignment is a partnership assignment between VSA and the Pacific Polytech.

In this assignment with Pacific Polytech, you will play a key role in enhancing vocational education in Fiji by reviewing and improving Provider Qualifications (PQs) for automotive mechanics. You will work closely with the Heads of School and trainers to identify gaps, update PQs, and ensure they meet industry standards and receive approval. Your expertise will help elevate the quality of training in areas such as Automotive Light Mechanics, Electrical & Electronics, Hybrids & EVs, and Heavy Automotives.

Additionally, you will provide Training of Trainers workshops and hands-on coaching to enhance the skills and confidence of local trainers across multiple campuses. This collaboration will ultimately improve the learning experience for students and increase their employability, addressing the national skills gap. The assignment offers the opportunity to travel across Fiji, support grassroots education, and contribute to building a more skilled and resilient workforce.


Our Partner Organisation - Pacific Polytech
is a not-for-profit technical training institution in Fiji, established in 2021 to address the gap left by the closure of the Technical Colleges of Fiji. It provides accessible Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to students, particularly school dropouts, in both urban and rural areas. With campuses across Fiji and expansion plans underway, Pacific Polytech equips students with essential skills and qualifications for better employment opportunities. Committed to strengthening Fiji’s workforce, the organisation plays a vital role in supporting economic development by addressing the national skills shortage in key industries like manufacturing, construction, and services.

Ngā tino Pūkenga/Wheako – Essential skills/experiences for the role
Are you someone who wants to make a difference, have a sense of adventure and like the challenge of being outside your comfort zone?  VSA Volunteers are technical experts who impart their skills and knowledge to the local community. You will need to be flexible, adaptable, resourceful, resilient with a passion for Aotearoa and the wider Pacific community.

We're looking for a volunteer with the following:

  • The volunteer must be an actual practitioner in the field of AUTOMOTIVE MECHANICS Automotive Light Mechanics; Automotive Electrical & Electronics; Auto-mechanics (Hybrids & EVs); Heavy Automotives): any of these specialised areas.
  •  At least 10 years’ experience in AUTOMOTIVE MECHANICS: Automotive Light Mechanics;Automotive Electrical & Electronics; Auto-mechanics (Hybrids & EVs); Heavy Automotives, etc.): or in any of these specialised areas
  • A diploma or degree in the field of mechanical engineering is desired but not essential.
The Country
Fiji includes the other 3 cultural groups called Fijians -Rotuma, Rabi, and Kioa (Rabian and Kioans) were resettled in Fiji after being evacuated from Ocean islands, Tuvalu and Kiribati).

It is a destination attraction for its coral reefs, clear lagoons, and tropical landscapes. Fijian indigenous society is very communal, with great importance attached to the family unit, the village, and the vanua (land). With the introduction of traditions such as Indian and Chinese and significant influences from Europe and Fiji's Pacific neighbours, particularly Tonga and Samoa, these various cultures have come together to create a multicultural national identity for Fiji.
  
Fiji has several development goals they are focusing on as a country such as lowering youth unemployment rates, reducing poverty, reducing child mortality and gender inequality, increasing environmental sustainability, and improving the health and education status of its citizens. 

Apply Now!

Apply for this amazing opportunity through our website. For more information on this assignment, email volunteer@vsa.org.nz.


Please note: The VSA office will be closed from midday on 20th December, and our recruitment team will be unavailable to review applications or respond to queries about this assignment until we reopen on 6th January 2025. You’re welcome to submit your application during this period, and we’ll review it as soon as we return.


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If you are on the VSA website, please click on the download assignment description tab above.

We are looking for a volunteer with:

  • 12-month volunteer service assignment based in Fiji
  • Flights, accommodation and living allowance provided by VSA
  • Share your expertise and help build a skilled, thriving workforce for Fiji

VSA covers flights, accommodation, insurance and some expenses. A living allowance is also provided.