Senior officials from SE Asia in Wellington for course at Victoria
Cambodian ELTSO participants with Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown
In 2011, 14 senior government officials arrived in New Zealand from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, to study at Victoria University on the ELTSO (English Language Training for Officials), funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On 30 June 2013 seventeen more senior officials will arrive in Wellington for eight weeks’ study. Myanmar was been added to the contributing countries to this annual programme in 2012.
“The programme has been very successful with officials commenting on significant improvement in their oral communication skills and a greater understanding of the NZ culture, political system and economy,” said ELTSO Programme Coordinator Helen Corrigan.
Their study programme includes English language communications skills, visits to government ministries and field trips in Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa and Auckland. The officials welcome the opportunity to establish relationships with their counterparts in the New Zealand Public Service and to forge links with officials from neighbouring countries in their region. The aims of the programme are similar to ELTO (English language Training for Officials) which brings 48 people twice a year from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Mongolia and Timor Leste.
Pictured with the Mayor of Wellington are Cambodian government officials from the 2012 ELTSO intake, Phann Nady, Iv Leang and Kruy Limheng.