Leading the way in digital innovation, Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Australia recently concluded the first cohort of the PTI Australia Digital Services Program, designed to equip Pacific-based service professionals with the necessary skills to launch online freelancing careers on globally recognised platform, Upwork. The bespoke 10-week program included a series of expert-led workshops, comprehensive resources, and an online discussion forum.
Hosted by Asha Forsyth, an accomplished trainer and successful freelancer known for her work with global businesses and organisations; and Mere Nailatikau, a proud Fijian and independent consultant with over fifteen years of experience as a development professional in strategic communications and public diplomacy, the program equipped participants with the knowledge to effectively tap into the burgeoning freelance digital market, working to further bridge the digital divide.
Over a period of 10 weeks, 40 participants engaged in the program, aspiring to offer digital services such as graphic design, web development and social media management. These participants hailed from more than seven countries, including Fiji, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
PTI Australia was thrilled to witness the enthusiasm of Pacific professionals involved in the inaugural program. Margaret Tambagle, program participant and President of the Young Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry, expressed her appreciation for the opportunity.
“The program significantly broadened my perspective on the potential of online work and freelancing. I gained insights into the intricate steps required to cultivate a vibrant online portfolio and effectively market one’s skills in the digital landscape. [The program] also allowed me the opportunity, as a Papua New Guinean, to get paid in a global currency, which is quite exciting.”
Work options within the digital services sector are lucrative and ever-emerging, encompassing a wide range of opportunities, from business process and information technology outsourcing, to administration, financial services, and creative and web-based industries.
Lead facilitator of the program, Asha Forsyth, highlights that PTI Australia’s Digital Services Program plays a crucial role in preparing Pacific-based professionals to confidently pursue work in these relevant fields, potentially transforming the nature of work and trade for individuals and the region.
“We’re aiming not only to support participants to join the digital service sector, but also to carve out thriving professional careers there as well.”"
Borne from an understanding of the limitless opportunities for growth that Pacific populations are afforded by the digital services sector, the program reflects PTI Australia’s ongoing observation of the rapid uptake of digital technology usage across countries, regions and industries. Notably, this trajectory is no longer restricted to developed nations.
Over the past two decades, investment in network infrastructure in the Pacific, as well as reforms to telecommunications policies, have had significant impacts on the ways local populations use and rely on technology.
Social media connectivity is at an all-time high, with over half the populations of Fiji and Samoa active on Facebook, and the region’s ‘youth bulge’ likely to result in sustained digital activity. These shifts are particularly pertinent in relation to the region’s geographic isolation – communication technologies have the capacity to bridge physical distances between the Pacific and the rest of the world.
Concurrently, the service sector is gaining recognition worldwide as an important and viable means of economic growth. The World Bank has identified that in the past 30 years, service sectors have outpaced manufacturing sectors in a number of developing economies, and consequently, facilitating the trade of services, upskilling workers, and increasing digital literacy rates, are critical areas of focus for the Pacific’s economic development.
Within this context, PTI Australia is optimistic about the scope of the program to drive important socioeconomic change, as highlighted by Jeremy Grennell, PTI Australia’s General Manager of Export.
“The global digital services market is projected to reach a staggering US$9.2 billion by 2028, offering immense potential for the Pacific region. The ability to export digital services internationally as a sole trader, without rigorous criteria or location constraints, makes this sector transformative and, notably, inclusive for women and young people – groups that continue to experience disproportionately high rates of unemployment.”
PTI Australia wishes all participants the best in their exciting careers, and looks forward to continuing the Digital Services Program in 2024.
Founded in 1979, PTI Australia is an agency of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Funded by the Australian Government, it facilitates trade and investment in the Pacific Islands.
