Database of graduate students eyed

THE Labour and Industrial Relations Department plans to create a database of graduate students who are employed and find solutions for those missing out.
Minister Mehrra Kipefa said the system would record students from university and technical schools who were employed.
He said it would list those who were still looking for jobs and market them to the workforce.
“We will know how many of them are already in the workforce, and how many are still searching for jobs and staying at home so that we will market them to industries,” he said.
The programme will start registering all graduate students next year.
Acting Secretary of Labour and Industrial Relations Ravu Vagi said the apprenticeship and trade testing training programme was an annual thing that would impact the workforce and capability development in technical areas. The programme has major sponsors in OK Tedi Mining Ltd, Oil Search Ltd, Ela Motors, Exxon Mobil, Curtain Brothers, Hornibrooks NGI, Hebou Construction, New Britain Palm Oil Ltd and others. Oil Search Ltd won the 2018 apprentice of the year through Perpetua Oseia, 27, after her project ‘Gas Dehydration’ was judged best.
“It’s a dream come true for me since I first heard of the National Apprenticeship and Trade Testing Board awards-of-the-year event,” she said.