Only country to recognise process technicians

PAPUA New Guinea is the only country that recognises process technicians, says Employers’ Federation of PNG director and deputy chair for the National Apprenticeship and Trade Testing Board (NATTB) Florence Willie.
Willie, in a press conference on Monday, said other countries no longer recognised this occupation but PNG identified it as a special trade that needed recognition.
She said through the apprentice and trade test candidate of the year award programme the board accredited people from all trades that included electricians, plumbers, mechanics and others as this recognised them as skilled people and allowed promotion.
Willie said the process technician trade had being recognised through the apprentice and trade test candidate of the year award programme over the last four years, and the board continued to recognise it.
“It has been practiced in the mines over the years and it is an occupation that only PNG recognises,” she said.
“They work in gas and oil industries using electronic devices and instruments to be able to diagnose and monitor any problem or issues in the pipelines and make recommendations.
“So once they graduate and have that certificate they are in high demand around the world,” Willie said.
NATTB director Thomas Kipau said, this year the board for the first time would recognise belt splicing.
Belt splicing is a trade that involves the joining up of two trimmed ends of a conveyor belt using a defined chemical or mechanical procedure.