Academy aiming to boost local management skills

Business

By MARK HAIHUIE
CHIEF Secretary Isaac Lupari says the Kumul Petroleum Academy allows for local labour to be fully used in upcoming extractive sector projects.
He said past projects had lost opportunities because most workers were sourced from outside PNG.
“Many of these companies who have operated have brought people from outside to work during the construction phase and the operation part of it,” Lupari said.
“Employment is taken up by others around the world simply because we did not have the skills that is needed. It is time that we invest in developing our skills so that we can create income opportunities for Papua New Guineans so this institution basically caters to that need.
Similar sentiments were expressed on the upcoming Papua LNG project by former Business Council PNG president David Toua.
He said the labour market was ill-prepared for optimum benefit distribution of the PNG LNG project.
“I think there are some lessons to be learnt as to how we managed the employment and education of our people during that time,” he said.
“There was real need and demand for labour and once the Papua LNG goes into construction phase, that demand will come again. The lesson to be learnt from this is that we have to prepare for the creation of that labour force so that it is sustainable. We can use that labour force after the construction of the phase of Papua LNG and other major projects.”