Bid to train 2,000 students in Qld

National, Normal
Source:

YEHIURA HRIEHWAZI in BRISBANE

THE PNG Consulate in Brisbane, Australia, is spearheading moves to train up to 2,000 young Papua New Guineans in technical schools in Queensland annually for five years in an effort to prepare manpower for the PNG LNG project.
If all goes according to plan, the first batch of PNG students should enter Queensland’s TAFE colleges next year, according to PNG Consul General in Brisbane, Paul Nerau.
“We can start with  300 to 400 and build up to 2,000 a year,” Mr Nerau told The National in an interview on Wednesday.
He said the public service in PNG must click into action and do something instead of sitting around complaining that there were not enough workers.
He said he was in discussions with TAFE colleges in Cairns, The Reef TAFE college in Townsville and others, which were all prepared to take on PNG trainees.
Mr Nerau travelled to Port Moresby two weeks ago to attend the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum investment seminar, during which he spoke with Department of National Planning staff to quickly facilitate the arrangements for students to train in Queensland in various technical fields that will be required by the liquefied natural gas  project.