Four train in Melbourne

 A TRUCKING company recently sent four employees to Melbourne to receive training on vehicle mechanical services.

The four Mapai Transport staff underwent training at the Eaton Vehicle Group Training Centre in Melbourne. The four are Rueben Penu, Bareko Akie, Ilam Ivito and Iso Opa.

They joined other apprentices and qualified tradesmen from  transport companies in Australia in four days of theory and practical sessions on switching from manual gear boxes to auto-shift to ultra-shift and ultra-shift-plus programmes.

The programmes see traditional manual gear-box operation on highway trucks phased out and replaced by electronic systems.

Managing director Jacob Luke the company strongly believed in investing in human capital to meet the challenges of the new century.

Luke said it was important to train staff to be competitive because there was no short cut to progress and success in life.

“It is about commitment and doing little things right,” he said.

He said there was a four-year apprentice training programme in mechanical, electrical, auto-electrical and welding which began in 2012.

A number of apprentices have already attended the first block courses in Port Moresby and Mt Hagen Technical Colleges.

The programme is monitored by the Department of Education’s national apprenticeship and training board.