The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing K174 million worth of support to improve the Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sub-sector in Papua New Guinea.
Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) Secretary Dr Francis Hualupmomi told The National that 10 out of the 22 TVET institutes recognised by the department would be benefiting from the total of K233 million TVET for an employment project.
“After we sign today (yesterday), funding will be released as soon as the accounts are open next year after March,” he said.
He pointed out that DHERST would be the implementing agency of the funding, with the PNG Government putting up US$6.3 million (K21 million), the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade US10 million (K34 million) and a concessional loan of US$50 million (K174 million) from ADB.
The 10 colleges earmarked to benefit from the project are:
- Port Moresby Technical College,
- Bougainville Technical College,
- Madang Technical College,
- Mt Hagen Technical College,
- Highlands Agricultural College,
- Goroka Technical College,
- PNG National Polytechnic Institute,
- West New Britain Technical College,
- Western Province Technical College and
- Don Bosco Simbu Technical College.
“They were selected through the external market assessment conducted by ADB. They did their own assessment and then selected those 10 colleges and they will eventually become polytechnic institutions,” Hualupmomi said.
The specific focus of the project will be on investing in the upskilling of construction and agriculture skills.
This was in line with the government’s priority goals of the Medium Term Development Plans IV to ensure that all school leavers were educated and trained under the ‘No Child Left Behind’ policy.
Source: National Newspaper 15/12/2022
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