People with disabilities should not be left behind. That’s why Australia has established a new partnership with Smart Technology, a technology and mobile phone repair business in Honiara to provide targeted training to ten (10) hearing-impaired Solomon Islanders in mobile phone repair.
Smart Technology worked closely with National Disability Forum Solomon Islands, to identify participants and develop a training model suited to deaf and hearing-impaired people.
Roylex Sitana, Smart Technology Founder, said the initiative was inspired by his experience studying in the Philippines, where he saw people with disabilities working successfully in technical trades.
“While I was studying in the Philippines, I saw people with disabilities being trained to develop skills to earn their own income,” Roylex Sitana said. “Mobile phone repair requires patience, concentration and attention to detail, and these are strengths that hearing-impaired people can bring to this kind of work. We want to give people the skills and experience they need to find employment or build something of their own.”
At the end of the training, participants may partner with Smart Technology, and others will receive tools, mentoring and support to establish their own mobile phone repair services.
Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Jeff Roach said the training would help create more inclusive pathways into skills development and employment for people with disabilities.
“People with disabilities continue to face significant barriers to training and employment even though they have the skills and abilities to make an important contribution to the workforce,” High Commissioner Roach said. “This new partnership creates a pathway in a growing industry and demonstrates how Indigenous businesses can become more inclusive employers.”
The partnership aims to establish a training model that moves beyond the initial group of participants, by creating longer-term opportunities for people with disabilities to develop marketable skills and participate in the workforce.
Australia is committed to supporting economic opportunities that ensure more Solomon Islanders develop skills, earn an income and participate in the economy.
