More skilled workers needed, says Rosso

PAPUA New Guinea (PNG) needs more skilled and productive workers, Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso says.
“Many parents think that it is better to send their children to university to become lawyers and accountants and neglect studies to become skilled workers,” he said.
“The country needs more lawyers, scientists and accountants but many people do not realise that having a good mechanic is just as important.
“That mechanic is an essential requirement in the workforce.
“Good blue collar workers such as plumbers and electricians are difficult to find these days.”
Rosso stressed the importance of having competent skilled workers at the launching of the National Training Policy 2022-2032 by the National Training Council (NTC) in Port Moresby last week. He said it should be the focus of the NTC and other relevant organisations to ensure that the younger generation was trained properly and improved their skill in the blue collar areas.
Rosso, who is also Labour and Immigration Minister, said that without proper training and skills of workers, the country would not perform well.
“One of the strategic priorities for the Labour Ministry and Immigration is having a relevant, inclusive and dynamic national training policy framework for the country and how to harness the quality of skills and competency of citizens in their trained professions,” he added.
“There are mining projects along with the agriculture sector that are thriving, but the problem is that there is a lack of proper training and policy for workers of these fields.”