OLOAMANU CENTRE

FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTAND CONTINUING EDUCATION

Talofa lava and Welcome to the Oloamanu Centre for Professional Development and Continuing Education (OCPDCE).

The Oloamanu Centre is the outreach arm of NUS through its various programmes and capacity building initiatives. The Centre coordinates and delivers professional development programmes for the NUS Staff, PSET Providers and Government Ministries etc. These capacity building opportunities are through formal programmes such as the NUS Certificate IV in Adult Teaching (CAT), Bachelor in TVET (BTVET) and the NUS Certificate I Preliminary Technical, Vocational, Education and Training (CPTVET).

The Oloamanu Centre also coordinates Open Distance Learning (ODL) for the NUS and provides technical support and advice to Faculties/ Centres in terms of Curriculum Development and Assessments. It also provides assistance to NUS Faculties/Centres/Schools, for the Accreditation of all Formal Programmes and the Recognition of NFL programmes with the Samoa Qualifications Authority (SQA). Over 43 courses have been officially recognised by the SQA and are offered by the NUS through the Oloamanu Centre/Faculties on a fee-paying basis (refer to the Oloamanu Training Booklet ).

The Oloamanu Centre also offers short term Human Resource Development (HRD) courses to support capacity building initiatives for various organisations in the public, private and civil society sectors based on identified Training Needs Analysis (TNA) processes.

The Oloamanu Centre is also leading the implementation of the NUS Micro Credential (MC) Framework which offers alternative pathways for learners to access formal qualifications including short term training for capacity development. MC could lead to approval of credit for formal learning leading to a qualification.

Micro Credential are short forms of learning (MCs) designed to advance the relevancy of formal education and training to meet skill gaps, national and labour market needs. The MC Framework guides the development, approval, delivery and award of MC units of learning via the following;

1. NUS Micro Credentials Policy 2022;
2. Short Forms of Learning or Micro credential Design Approval
3. Short Forms of Learning or Micro credential Application.

Fully developed MC courses will strengthens NUS’s responsiveness and ability to effectively address training needs raised by stakeholders within a short span of time. To date, the NUS in partnership with the NZAid is currently implementing the Manaaki In-Country Training Scholarship with 9 Micro Credential short courses for registered PSET Trainers in Upolu and Savaii.