Cadets graduate to meet Defence Force targets

Six trainees from the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, in New Zealand, and seven from the Aviskills, in Australia, have completed their on-the-job training at the PNG Defence Force Air Transport Wing in Port Moresby and graduated on Monday.
The graduation also coincided with the completion of the 1/17 adult trade training bridging course and the presentation of certificates.
Six studied in New Zealand and seven studied in Australia and they graduated with Certificates in Aeronautical Maintenance Engeering.
PNG Defence Forrce Chief of Staff Col Raymond Numa said the direction of the Defence White Paper was to train 30 Air Transport Wing personnel to be aircraft engineers and pilots and this graduation was the first.
“As per the Defence White Paper of 2013 it has directed PNGDF to grow the air technical training and we have a target to raise up to 30 technical trainees and action pilots,” he said.
“At the moment we are on target and half way through our pilot training.
“These trainings are expensive but they are good because these young men (and a woman) will add value to this organisation in many years to come.”
Numa said training young people was a way of filling the gaps of those that have aged and were planning to leave in the future.
He challenged the new graduates to give their best to the Government and the PNGDF who invested so much in building their careers in this technical field and to continue to learn from others.
Meanwhile, Numa said that one of the milestones in this graduation was the first technical female in the PNGDF to
graduate in the field of AME after almost 20 years.
“We are very happy with this breakthrough in the female sector and there will be another six who passed out in the bridging who will be taking up the challenge as well,” Numa said.