Govt urged to support apprenticeship training

A 24-year gap in the National Trade Testing Board (NATTB) training resulted in shortage of trades people in the country, an official says.
Department of Works deputy secretary (corporate services), Joseph Asinumbu made the statement while speaking to a group of apprentices who graduated with heavy equipment fitting assessors certificate.
Asinumbu said when major developments such as the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project came up, trades people from outside PNG were recruited to fill the gap.
He said the gap was because the government stopped apprenticeship training by the Works Department.
“There’s a big opportunity for you,” he said.
“You will travel around the world and have more money than you need. We need the government to fully support what we are doing here and you have to work very hard and be the best.
“It’s not over until you get your trade certificate.”
Department of Works acting first assistant secretary (management services) Michael Sula said with the booming mining industry there’s a huge gap that still needs to be filled.