Detailed Overview (Full Version to be on the VAQ webpage)

 The Vanuatu Qualification Authority (VQA) is pleased to introduce the Priority Occupations identified under the National Human Resource Development Plan (NHRDP) 2024–2030. The NHRDP is designed to address Vanuatu’s most urgent workforce needs and align them with the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP).

While the Plan places particular emphasis on priority sectors such as health, education, agriculture, tourism, trade, and infrastructure—where skills shortages are most critical—it is not limited to these sectors alone.

All ministries, sectors, and partners are invited to contribute by identifying their priority occupations and workforce requirements. This inclusive approach ensures that:

• No sector is excluded from the national framework;
• Cross-cutting skills (e.g., ICT, business, administration, management, finance, climate resilience) are considered across all sectors; and
• The NHRDP remains a living document that can be updated as new needs arise.

Once consultations with line ministries are completed, the exercise will move to include the provincial level, private sector, and civil society organizations. This next phase will ensure that the NHRDP truly reflects a national approach, incorporating the perspectives and priorities of communities, businesses, and non-state actors across Vanuatu.

Once the full mapping of Vanuatu’s workforce needs is complete, the VQA will be proud to report back to the Council of Ministers (COM) on the priority needs of the Government and the country’s future workforce. If these priorities remain important to the Government of the day, the COM can then instruct all stakeholders involved in PSET training, tertiary education, and related programs to align fully with the findings of the NHRDP. This approach ensures end-to-end alignment, from policy and planning to delivery, so that all education and training initiatives directly support the skills and qualifications identified as most critical by the VQA under its COM mandate.

The VQA is very pleased with these first steps, as the brief outcomes will contribute to assisting the Ministry of Education and the Scholarship Commission in their deliberations over the 2026 scholarship awards. It is expected that the scholarship website will state that the 2026 scholarship awards will align with Government priorities, including Education, Health, Agriculture, and Tourism & Trade. This demonstrates VQA’s contribution in guiding national workforce development and supporting strategic government priorities.

The Priority Occupations List is shared below, and updates on the progress of the National Human Resource Development Plan will be available and accessible on the VQA website.

Work is ongoing to update the NHRDP page. Once all submission letters and the full list of priority occupations are consolidated, the page will be updated accordingly.

Thank you very much for your continued support and collaboration in advancing Vanuatu’s human resource development priorities.

 Below are the approved list of Priority Occupations