Minister makes it official for St Mary’s

THE Saint Mary’s Technical School in Mingende, Chimbu is now an accredited trade testing centre of the National Apprentice and Trade Testing Board (NATTB), a first for the Highlands region.
Minister for Labour and Industrial Relations Mehrra Kipefa presented the accreditation certificate and officially launched the trade testing centre at Mingende last Monday. Also thgere wre Chimbu Governor Michael Dua, Catholic Bishop of Kundiawa Diocese Anton Bal, a senior officer from the NATTB Billy Buori and other senior public servants and education officers in the province.
Minister Kipefa said accrediting Saint Mary’s Technical School into a trade testing centre was an important achievement for Chimbu and the Highlands region. “I want to make things happen and operational at the local level to impact the lives of our people and Chimbu is going rural which is in line with my vision and that’s why I am happy to support the establishment of the trade testing centre here,” he said.
Kipefa said this was the first trade testing centre in the Highlands and he commended the Chimbu government and the Catholic Church for it.
“Trade tests for carpenters can now be conducted here at Mingende and I am looking forward to supporting accreditation of trade testing centres for other trade courses like mechanical and electrical because the previous approach of conducting trade tests only in Port Moresby is quiet expensive and has seen the country missing out big time on developing local skill workforce.”