Apprentices graduate from training

The National Education

By STACEY TARURA
MORE than 30 apprentices graduated under the Department of Works (DoW) human resource development branch apprenticeship training programme in Port Moresby earlier this month.
Deputy Secretary (corporate service) John Ame commended the National Apprenticeship Trade Testing Board (NATTB) for their consistency in regulating the Apprenticeship Training Policy and ensuring that the apprentices were trained in accordance with NATTB standing policy standards.
“We received a total of 25,000 applications for only 21 available positions advertised and out of these, 5,000 met the initial requirements.”
He said after further screening and interviewing, a final 21 successful applicants were selected and recruited as the first batch to be trained in 2010.
“I am happy to inform you that out of 21 apprentices who successfully completed their apprenticeship training programme in 2014, of them are working with DoW plant and transport division (PTD).”
Ame said the second batch of 25 apprentices who had completed their apprenticeship training programme last year was also employed by PTD.
He said he wanted to see the current Government provide more support to NATTB in terms of manpower and not only with financial assistance so that they (NATTB) could deliver in their mandated roles more efficiently and effectively thus contributing to the achievements of vision 2050.
“I would like to encourage NATTB to revisit the Apprenticeship Training Act with the view to make apprenticeship training more affordable to attract more participation from various industries and secondly for it (NATTB) to carry out regular checks and assessments to institutions that are tasked to conduct apprentice training to ensure that training received by apprentices are current and up to date and also for NATTB to consult with apprentice training providers to ensure that costs are standardised and made affordable.”
Ame said out of the 40 apprentices that graduated, two were females who graduated in heavy equipment fitter and motor vehicle mechanics respectively and he called for more female participation in the future.