Prison completes phase 2 of TVET programme

A PRISON vocational course in East New Britain has been commended after its second graduation on Wednesday.
Provincial education adviser Alkan Mararang said the technical vocational education training (TVET) programme implemented at Keravat jail had been a success in rehabilitating prisoners and giving them skills to be useful members of society once they were released.
“We started this programme from humble beginnings in 2019,” Mararang said.
“It was the first phase of the programme and now we have completed the phase two, and as an education adviser, I am proud of your achievement.”
Mararang said the provincial administration wanted to empower all members of the society even those who were in prison.
“With the skills and trainings, we want these detainees when they are released to go home and start up their own little businesses and to be assets to their communities and not a liability,” he said.
Mararang said the TVET courses were life skill training which would benefit the detainees after they left prison as they would use the skills learned to earn an income to sustain themselves.
The 10-week TVET course was facilitated by instructors from the Vunamami Framers Training Centre.
A total of 103 participants, including Kerevat warders attended the training which focused on trades such as agriculture, garment production, commercial cookery, welding, spray painting and panel beating, auto mechanic, carpentry, electrical and brick laying.
Mararang thanked the Correctional Services for working in partnership with the provincial administration to make the programme a success.
CS assistant commissioner New Guinea Islands Philip Paranis said the programme was implemented in four prisons across the country, including Baisu (Western Highlands), Buimo (Morobe), Kerevat and Bomana (NCD).
He said the department supported the TVET programme at Kerevat with K250,000.