Meeting focuses on skills training for Morobe youths

The Urban Youth Employment Programme (Uyep) scoping exercise for Morobe has started with a meeting of key stakeholders in Lae.
Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu in officiating the meeting and welcoming the stakeholders said: “Today, we are gathered to talk about employment skills training for the disadvantaged youths and the writing is on the wall for Morobe”.
According to a state of the province report, 40 per cent of Morobe’s population are illiterate and a mere 25 per of students meet national standards for progress beyond secondary level education.
“I call on each of your organisations and each of you, individually, to join hands with my government to realise the zero drop-out policy; zero drop-out from elementary schools to colleges and universities,” Saonu said.
“Everyone is equally important, everyone has a role, everyone has a responsibility to drive Morobe forward and my support will be equitable. Equitable so that everyone is empowered at their own level.
“I am aware of important concerns raised with regards to job availability for our students after completion of school; concerns raised about finance and quality of education, and education infrastructure.
“The immediate resolve is to work in partnership so that ideas and resources can be shared to turn problems into solutions.
“My government wants the Uyep to be up-scaled to include illiterate youths as well as unemployed college and university graduates, and to include local Morobe initiatives such as youth values and mindset programmes.
“The programme design and strategies must have local initiatives in order for my government to throw in our money and to sustain it over the next five years.”