Basil promises help to build life skills in Bulolo

People of Bulolo will participate in all developments in the district with the support of MP Sam Basil in life skills training.
Basil said this when announcing 20 additional sponsorships for the people of Yanta and Hengambu in Mumeng local level government.
Basil said the people of Bulolo missed out on employment and business opportunities in the Hidden Valley mining project.
“Bulolo DDA does not assist with school fees (so that we can) to stop the culture of handout mentality and laziness, when the TFF (tuition fee free) policy started paying school fees from elementary education,” Basil said.
“The district has established a training system suitable for the needs of the people, including skills training for employment in industries or in their own SME (small to medium-sized enterprises) activities.”
Basil said that Bulolo annually offered 30 sponsorships for students at Balob Teachers’ College, in Lae, and 15 for community health workers.
It offers places each year at Wau School of Mining and Bulolo Technical School for a student each from the 110 wards of the six LLGs.
Basil said Bulolo was hosting the Wafi-Golpu mine and wanted to ensure its people did not miss out on employment and business spin-off activities.
He said opportunities had not arisen from Hidden Valley because of lack of skilled manpower.
Basil said since 2013, a total 110 students were trained annually at Bulolo Technical School in different trades. They return to work on the district rural electrification and roads maintenance programmes.
Basil said starting this year, the CHW and teacher training would continue as students were bound to serve in the district for three years.
He said in community development and skills capacity programme, 30 students were selected for teacher training, 15 for
CHW and 110 for other skills training.
Basil said with the development of Wafi-Golpu, 20 extra spaces had been allocated for Hengabu and Yanta landowners, which would bring up the total of DDA-sponsored students from 110 to 130 at Bulolo Technical School.
Bulolo Vocational Centre has been upgraded to a technical school.
It offers a wide range of specialised courses like carpentry, joinery, light and heavy motor mechanic and plumbing.