Regional incubation centres to be established

By ZACHERY PER
THE Government’s initiative to establish four regional youth business incubation centres will help young people find work, says Apo Angra Angna Kange (AAAK) Coffee Cooperative general manager Brian Kuglame.
Kuglame welcomed the announcement by National Planning and Monitoring Minister Richard Maru to build regional youth business incubation centres and adopt India’s model.
He said the AAAK Coffee Cooperative had already built an incubation centre at Zuguru farm outside Goroka town to train youths on how to run a business.
“We thought we were doing this without recognition. But when Minister Maru revealed the initiative by the Government in The National newspaper, we were very happy,” Kuglame said.
He said every year around 28,000 students came out of the school system but only 6000 were absorbed into tertiary institutions. The 22,000 are left on the streets.
Kuglame said all AAAK youths were coming to the centre to learn how to start and run a business.
The AAAK Cooperative has 64 clusters in Eastern Highlands, Chimbu, Jiwaka and Western Highlands.
“The initiative to incubate youths for business trainings is an Independence anniversary present coming to the people in the eve of the Apec Leaders’ Summit,” Kuglame said.