Firm issues certificates to workers

BARRICK Niugini Ltd (BNL) has issued trade certificates to 36 former employees of Porgera gold mine, confirming them as practicing tradespersons after they received their competency-based level three certificates from the National Apprenticeship and Trade Testing Board (NATTB).
Porgera mine has been recognised as a national training provider under the PNG National Training Council (NTC-178), and also has a NATTB-accredited maintenance training facility, which allowed them to conduct trade testing and assessments on site for all competency-based training levels in 2019 and early 2020.
The mine has recruited and trained locals with qualifications from as low as grade 10 over its years of operation through its job ready programme (JRP) and later placed them in different divisions of the mine for further skill development.
As the mine entered a care and maintenance phase in July and August, BNL development traineeships superintendent Tommy Aselai ensured that the NATTB and mine-based certification continued.
While presenting certificates to recipients last month, Aselai said he was satisfied that they had achieved their certificates, and encouraged them to use their new qualifications to explore further employment opportunities.