OPINION: To Our Youths, Your Journey Doesn’t End Here — RTCs Can Build Your Dreams

Each year, young people across the Solomon Islands leave school at Form 3, Form 5, or Form 6. For many, this moment marks a difficult transition—one filled with disappointment, uncertainty, and questions about the future.

For some, leaving school can feel like the end of the road. But it is not. In reality, it can be the beginning of a new and meaningful journey—one that leads to skills, employment, and a life built on purpose and pride.

TVET: An Alternative Pathway to Success

While academic education is often viewed as the main pathway to success, it is not the only one. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), or Rural Training Centres (RTCs) that established across the Hapi Isles of Solomon Islands, offers young people a practical and skills-based alternative.

Through hands-on learning, mentorship, and real-world experience, these RTCs have been equipping many young people with skills needed in growing sectors such as construction, hospitality, agriculture, tourism, and trades.

In the country, there are inspiring examples of young people who chose this path and transformed their lives.

Molina Kwatoó: Rising Through Skills and Determination

Molina Kwatoó left school in Year 11 but refused to let that define her future. She enrolled at Airahu Rural Training Centre and completed a Certificate III in Hospitality.

Today, she works as a national hospitality trainer, contributing to skills development initiatives supported by Australia. Her journey shows that skills, commitment, and hard work can open doors to leadership—even without completing secondary school.

Divine Sade: A Second Chance Through Carpentry

Divine Sade’s story is one of resilience and second chances. After leaving formal education in Grade 4, he spent years at home without direction and became involved in social problems that left him feeling hopeless.

With encouragement from his parents, Divine moved to Honiara to live with a strict but supportive aunt, who helped him enrol at St Martin’s Rural Training Centre to study carpentry. Despite struggling initially with mathematics and basic carpentry concepts, Divine persevered.

Today, he is a focused student with a clear goal—to become a professional carpenter capable of both employment and self-employment.

Daisy Rodie: From TVET Training to Professional Employment

Another powerful example is Daisy Rodie. Through a TVET carpentry program, she gained practical, in-demand skills that opened doors to formal employment.

She is now working as a Project Engineer with a building company in Honiara. Daisy’s journey demonstrates that TVET training can lead directly to career progression, financial independence, and professional growth.

Focus, Discipline, and the Right Choices

These stories remind us that success is not defined by staying in school alone. What matters most is the decision to learn, to commit, and to apply oneself. TVET and RTCs provide a structured, supportive environment where young people can rebuild confidence, gain practical skills, and create clear career pathways.

However, success requires focus and discipline. Negative influences—such as idle socialising, substance abuse, and peer pressure that discourages growth—can derail potential and delay progress.

Choosing Purpose and Building a Future

Young people must choose purpose over distraction. Seek out a TVET program that aligns with your interests. Learn with dedication. Build your craft. Develop skills that contribute not only to your own future, but also to your family, community, and country.

Your Future Begins with Today’s Decision

Your journey is still being written. The decisions you make today—to learn, to work hard, and to stay focused—will shape the life you lead tomorrow. Your future does not end here. It begins with the choice you make today.