Institute appeals for govt support

 By ELLEN TIAMU

THE National Polytechnic Institute needs a major overhaul if it wants to produce the best graduates, governing council chairman Kila Vuivagi said last week.

“The need to upgrade the infrastructure at this institute is urgent but we have no funds to do what we want to do,” he said.

Vuivagi said it was a modern technical institution but infrastructure needed an urgent overhaul.

“We need help and we need help urgently,” he said. 

“The industry expects us to produce the best graduates for them but our graduates train on obsolete, out of date, ancient equipment.” 

Vuivagi said the governing council has started building new buildings for tourism and hospitality, building and civil and mechanical engineering departments but it needed more money.

He appealed to the Government to provide greater support to upgrade facilities at the institute, which would celebrate its 60th anniversary this year.

Vuivagi said they were optimistic under the Government’s focus on education.

He was speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for the building of a new dormitory for female students. 

The dormitory was funded by the Lae district joint district planning and budget priority committee.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill officiated at the ceremony.