The Technical Vocational Education Training Skills Scholarship Project (TVETSSP) will enter the second year (2012) of development of Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) upper tier of the trade skills workforce training in 2012. The experiences learnt from the 2011 training of 150 trainees at the Tropical North Institute of TAFE and Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE has provided the impetus for the state to increase the number of trainees to 463 in 2012. The training fields are also being increased from heavy and dirty trades and 2 times 6 months pre apprenticeships semesters to other fields for other skill areas and longer training periods of 8 to 12 months.
As a targeted programme, the TVETSS Project includes job placement and apprenticeship programme for returned trainees through a state and private sector partnerships arrangement negotiated by OHE with a coalition of private industries. There is a special drive to integrate the provinces, districts, state institutions and ingenious business into the programme by releasing their workers for periods of 6 to 12 months through present arrangement or direct funding for their workers through the OHE programme.
As part of consultation process the OHE is inviting the public to apply for consideration for 463 scholarships in the 13 training fields indicated below.
1. Agriculture & Livestock
The transformation of Agriculture and Livestock industry is fundamental in boosting PNG’s economy and establishing the pace for PNG’s transition from a highly agrarian base society into an industrial state. Training in this priority area will focus on the following competencies:
- Ability to assess health care needs and trends in communities;
- Agribusiness
- ability to provide solutions for unusual or complex cases that require innovative approaches;
- knowledge of health/sanitation requirements, taxes and insurance issues, laws, regulations, environmental controls, legal instruments, and procedures for purchasing and swelling property in assigned areas;
- Food security and rural environmental protection;
- Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, and;
- Marketing and Regulatory Programs – may consists of the agricultural Marketing service, animal and plant health inspection, and the tuber inspection, packing and stockyard administration.
2. Forestry
Natural Resources and Environment industry consists of the Forest, the Park and Conservation Services. PNG will progress in the processing of timbers, will be positioned to market its unique forests to tourists, and will meet international demand for carbon storage or for other environmental services. Training in this priority area will focus on:
- Sustainable forest management through reforestation and aforestation programs;
- Pursue downstream processing of forest products
- Research and extension services of the forest industry so that the industry is profitable and sustainable, to the benefit of current and future generations.
- Cottage Industry
3. Minerals
The minerals sector has been the primary source of Papua New Guinea’s exports over the years and will continue to be important into the future. Training in this priority area will focus on small scale alluvial mining and hazard management to better equip prospective miners and minimize impacts on the environment and social welfare.
4. Environment and Conservation
PNG is directly threatened by the consequences of climate change. The increased frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones and rising sea levels directly affect the coastal and island regions of PNG. Training in this priority area will focus on:
- Land Conservation
- Water Resource Management
- Waste Management
- Sustainable Development Practices
5. Industrialization – Downstream Processing/Industrialization
Downstream processing implies manufacture operation or a process to bring a product from its natural state to purified product fit for a specific use, generally in marketable quantities. Training will focus on:
- Applying industrial and advanced management methods to agriculture, forestry and fishing (primary) industries to increase output and improve the quality of farmers’ products to meet domestic and overseas needs.
- Material & Manufacturing, development of value technologies to sustain key manufacturing industries in PNG – automobiles, shipbuilding, machinery adaptation, manufacturing process etc.
6. Energy
Energy plays a very important role in development as it provides the means to an end just like transport infrastructure and other utilities services. Training in this priority area will focus on hydro-power generation and rural electrification.
7. Infrastructure – Construction and Building
Construction and Building encompasses everything from the foundation, grounds, building, finishing and maintaining of all sorts of buildings. Infrastructure is used in the sense of technical structures or physical networks that support society Training in this priority will focus on the development needs, especially in the 22 provinces, 89 districts and 11 000 wards, for maintenance and development of existing and new infrastructure. Training in this priority will focus on:
- Transportation infrastructure
- Energy infrastructure
- Water management infrastructure
- Communications infrastructure
- Waste management
- Earth monitoring and measurement networks
- Checking and assuring quality systems of imported machineries,
- Maintenance engineering, adapting and or modifying imported machineries to suit industrial needs,
- Emerging Industrial Technology and processes for downstream procession,
- Telecommunications Engineering
8. Tourism
Tourism is a dynamic and competitive industry that requires the ability to constantly adapt to customers’ changing needs and desires, as the customer’s satisfaction, safety and enjoyment are particularly the focus of tourism businesses. Training for this priority will focus on:
- Accommodation
- Food and Beverage Services
- Recreation and Entertainment
- Transportation
- Travel Services
9. Transport
Establishing an effective, modern transport system in PNG is very important to growth and development. The lack of transport infrastructure constrains PNG’s economic and social development. Training in this priority will focus on civil construction and maintenance for building and improving PNG transport network.
10. Communication
Information and Communication Technology cover skills related to information services. This encompasses everything from network creation and maintenance to development and finishing information technologies. Training in this priority will focus on:
- Software and Applications Programmes
- ICT Support
- Electronics
- Database & Systems Administration
- ICT Security
- Computer Networking
- ICT Business and Systems Analysis
- Web and Multimedia Designers
11. Banking and Finance
Banking and the Financing system goes hand in hand with improvement in economic growth of the country and the service system needed to match the service within the established banking system and other financing systems to satisfy consumer demands. A well educated and informed society will want enjoy the luxury of choice when it comes to what he or she consumes. Training in this area will focus on financial services, Marketing and Commercialization
12. Health
To achieve Vision 2050 and DSP 2030 targets, for a healthy lifestyle especially in health extension services to rural areas. Training will focus on the development of a cadre of health professionals needed to assist hospital services and extension services in the remote health centres.
13. Informal sector
Non- agricultural informal sector: promotion of the non agricultural informal sector to secure livelihoods for indigenous entrepreneurs and to encourage progression to the formal sector. Training in this priority area will focus on food processing and small scale manufacturing.