Twenty-five (25) youths from Kokopo, East New Britain Province, are now being empowered, adding to their curriculum vitae with a certificate in entrepreneurship in education to look for employment.
The students graduated recently from Fountain Business Institute, a new business school in Tavuiliu ward in the Central Gazelle LLG, Gazelle district.
The students were the first batch to graduate from the Fountain Business Institute and Flexible Open Distance Education (FODE) after undergoing 16 weeks of studies.
Fountain Business Institute and FODE is owned and managed by secondary school trained teachers who specialised in field of business studies and education.
Director of the school Ambrose Kiapen said the institution was registered with Investment Promotion Authority and started operating as a sole proprietorship form of business under his ownership.
Mr Kiapen said he personally observed that as each academic year comes to an end, thousands of school leavers in the province and country joined the labour market in search for employment.
This bulk of school leavers is the group that contribute a lot to social issues and illegal activities in the societies today.
The purpose of the establishment of the business institute is to train and equip young adults with business knowledge, skills and concept so that they can develop entrepreneurial attitudes and discover their abilities to establish their own business.
Mr Kiapen
Mr Kiapen said that the school is registered under the National Training Council (NTC), however, at this time the process of registration with NTC is still pending.
This is because they lack funds to erect proper buildings that would be certified by the national building board for lectures, library, ablution blocks and computer labs.
The facilities are compulsory requirement of NTC. There is land available for the school buildings but the only hindrance is the lack of funds.
Currently the school is enrolling students in computing and book keeping, and enrolment will end next month.
The director used funds from his retirement savings to build a double classroom with two staff offices which still are in need of double walling and wiring.
Fountain Business Institute is established upon the hope to inspire, mould and equip young and energetic Papua New Guineans who are determine to be part of the competitive world of business.
Kiapen
He said the institution wished to develop its students to become courageous and determined in working towards achieving their dreams and is appealing to the government and stakeholders to assist in education for the betterment of the youths in the province.