The Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS), in collaboration with the Government of Japan through JICA’s Third Country Training Programme (TCTP), has officially opened a two-week regional Training of Trainers course titled “Training of Trainers on Skills and Competencies for Conducting Meteorological, Climate, and Hydrology Training in the Pacific.”
The training programme is being delivered by expert trainers from the Fiji National University (FNU) and brings together participants from across the Pacific, including the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, the Marshall Islands, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Fiji.
The course aims to strengthen participants’ skills in training design, adult learning, facilitation, and assessment, while promoting competency-based training aligned with the World Meteorological Organisation’s BIP-M and BIP-MT frameworks. It also seeks to enhance the capacity of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in the Pacific to deliver high-quality training in meteorology, climate services, and hydrology, while building a regional pool of qualified trainers to support ongoing training activities.
In his opening remarks, Acting Director of the Fiji Meteorological Service, Amit Singh, welcomed the regional participants and emphasised the importance of the training in strengthening technical and facilitation skills, fostering collaboration, and promoting effective knowledge-sharing across the region.
Singh highlighted the long-standing partnership between Fiji Met and JICA, noting that their collaboration dates back to the late 1980s. Over the years, this partnership has played a key role in developing the expertise of National Meteorological Services across the Pacific and improving the accuracy and reach of weather and climate services.
“ICA’s support has been vital in building the capacity and skills of meteorological personnel across the Pacific. This Training of Trainers workshop forms part of the ongoing Reinforcing Meteorological Training of FMS project,” Singh said.
As a Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre and Tropical Cyclone Centre, the Fiji Meteorological Service plays a critical role in the Pacific, not only in delivering daily weather forecasts but also in strengthening the capacity of meteorological staff across the region to ensure services remain accurate and reliable.
The Fiji Meteorological Service acknowledged JICA for facilitating the workshop and providing the necessary support and also expressed its appreciation to the Fiji National University for sharing its trainers and expertise in support of regional capacity building.
