In June 2025, Kingku Hitech Training Institute (KHTI) in Papua New Guinea ran a two-day workshop to onboard staff on the use of micro-learning resources available on the Pacific TVET Online Toolkit (https://pacifictoolkit.col.org/) to support professional development. The two-day onboarding workshop was organised with support from the Commonwealth of Learning and funding from New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
For most workshop participants, it was their first experience with self-directed online learning. Each wrote a Personal Development Plan prioritising digital literacy, student engagement, and competency-based training. They also mapped their competencies against a Capability Mapping Tool. Participants learned how to use Toolkit resources to improve lesson planning, refine assessment strategies, and strengthen classroom practices. The workshop ended with a commitment to ongoing self-directed learning and peer mentoring to sustain progress.
The training had a clear impact. Teachers who had previously struggled with ICT gained confidence in accessing online resources, while others reported being better prepared to support their students.
As Principal Trainer Gertrude Andrias shared: “The Pacific TVET Toolkit provided Kingku staff with new strategies and resources that we could immediately apply in the training sessions. One of the biggest improvements was how we engaged our students—before, they struggled with providing the appropriate training materials, but now, they are more confident and better prepared.”
Early Childhood Tutor Rose Dolip reflected: “Before, I wasn’t sure how to prepare learning materials and measure the learning outcome of the students. The TVET Toolkit training has given me the confidence and has urged me to do self-learning to improve my professional skills. I am able to set up proper training sessions with the students. My students also gain confidence and trust in my teaching presentation. This has motivated me to continue using the Toolkit in my training.”
Banking and Finance Tutor Chris Gabriel added: “The COL TVET Online Toolkit is very important for me and the other staff as most of us have not been to a teachers’ college but used our content knowledge to teach students. The learning resources were an eye opener for all of us.”
Through this initiative, KHTI staff have not only improved their teaching practices but also embraced self-directed learning as a pathway for continuous professional growth, contributing to workforce development in Papua New Guinea.