Duo on traineeship in Aust

Two tradesmen are spending six months undertaking intensive training in Australia after they were awarded traineeships by a building company.
Bradford Bandi, 22, and Danny Nom, 31, of Port Moresby, are the latest employees in a long line of Papua New Guineans to be offered training by Northbuild Construction PNG.
With its headquarters in Brisbane, Northbuild was established in Lae in 2012 before the company expanded to Port Moresby.
A total of 11 Northbuild staff members have already benefited from the programme to connect skilled Papua New Guineans with Australian training and quality work experience to boost their knowledge in their respective trades.
Paul Boddington, founder and managing director of Northbuild Group of Companies, said the tradesmen had shown dedication to the company and were selected based on their attendance and attitude towards completing set tasks.
“Danny and Bradford have earned their chance and I wish them all the best,” he said.
“They are in Australia for six months of intensive training and when they return I expect them to become leaders in the group,” Boddington said.
He said their placements would see Bandi and Nom tap into new skills and talent while improving the ones they already had.
Boddington said the primary goal of the traineeship was to expose the tradesmen to large-scale commercial projects and Australian standards relevant to the construction industry.
“We are focused on our employees and helping them to become the best they can be (at their trades),” he said.
“While not all the staff who completed the training still work with Northbuild today, they have all improved their skills and knowledge and can take that into the workforce elsewhere.
“That’s a boost for the local construction industry.”
Impressed with the skills of his tradesmen, Boddington said there were plans to send five painters, two carpenters and a leading hand supervisor in the coming six months to get firsthand experience on a large residential project in Brisbane’s central business district.
“We are committed to this cause as we have a real passion for development of staff and it remains one of our core business objectives,” he said.
Staff interested in the Australian work placements are encouraged to complete an application form before sitting a written and oral English test.
The final candidates must pass a medical examination and apply for a visa to be eligible for traineeships.
“We have a number of projects in Lae and Port Moresby, and as soon as they have been confirmed, even more tradesmen will get their chance,” Boddington said