Hela youths flock to LNG jobs

 By PETER ESOP WARI

THERE has been a decrease in the number of Hela students entering  Divine Word University since the PNG LNG project came into operation, a DWU student leader said. 

DWU Hela Student Association president Gloria Arabagali said Hela students were no longer interested in education as jobs were “right at their doorstep”.

The fourth-year information technology student said DWU had fewer at the university than before the PNG LNG project started.

“Hela is a new province and needs human resources to drive the province forward. We need students to enter tertiary institutions and be well educated, not become security guards, drivers or other labour jobs at the PNG LNG project site,” she said. 

She said 20 DWU Hela students visited two secondary schools in Hela, St Joseph Tari Secondary School in the Komo-Margarima district and Koroba Secondary School in the Lake Kutubu district to create awareness about the importance of tertiary education.

“We feel sad that only three students from Hela secured a place at the university and few to other colleges in the country,” she said.

Arabagali said the main purpose of visit to the two secondary schools was to explain the students the GPA requirements, courses outlines, encouraging students to work hard and aim high and the importance of human resource to drive a province forward.

She said the DWU students also explained the advantages and disadvantages of the PNG LNG project and the importance of being educated to eradicate problems that would be faced in the future as a project area in the country.

She added that their trip was funded and supported by Hela Governor Anderson Agiru and Hela elites such as Alfred Angobe.

They visited Tari Secondary School yesterday and today will be at Koroba Secondary.

Arabagali said the theme of their awareness campaign was “Empowering the growth of human resource for Hela”.