APTC Celebrates Student Success in PNG

25 Nov 2015
On Wednesday, 18 November 2015, the Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) celebrated the success of its PNG students at a graduation ceremony held at the APTC Port Moresby Campus in Idubada. This is the second APTC graduation ceremony in PNG this year.

APTC is a development initiative funded by the Australian Government to deliver training and to increase the supply of skilled workers in targeted sectors in the Pacific region. 

“Today is indeed a significant and happy occasion for many including the graduates, their families, the staff of APTC, and the many industry partners that are represented here today. You all have contributed to making this day possible,” said the Chief Guest Rod Hilton, Minister Counsellor - Australian High Commission, Port Moresby. 

“The APTC is gainfully contributing to training, employment and productivity in PNG and the Pacific. Today’s graduates can competitively offer their skills and expertise in the labour market across the Pacific. The trade, entrepreneurial and innovative skills they have attained will make a real difference for many, including themselves,” he further commented. 

A total of 130 students were awarded Australian qualifications in Certificate III and Certificate IV level courses including: Carpentry, Early Childhood Education and Care, Commercial Cookery, Diesel Fitting, Disability, Electrotechnology Electrician, Engineering - Fabrication Trade, Hospitality Operations, Painting and Decorating, Plumbing, Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology, Tourism, Youth Work and Training and Assessment.

All students are from PNG and have studied at APTC PNG Campus and in other APTC campuses located in Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands or Vanuatu.

Among these graduates were the first group of Metal Fabrication students who studied under a DFAT Pilot program delivered at the PNG National Polytechnic Institute in Lae. This initiative was designed to meet industry needs in the Morobe Province.
APTC is achieving its targets through partnership arrangements and connections with industry, employers, community and government at national, regional and international levels. In PNG, APTC has training client relationships with Coral Seas Hotel, Avenell Engineering Systems and Digara Construction Ltd.

In addition, APTC has contributed towards significant upgrading and maintenance of equipment and machinery in the APTC/POMTECH shared Fitting and Machining and Fabrication and Welding workshops. The vision for this facility is to enable the expansion of the APTC/POMTECH programs to include shared delivery across automotive industry programs training Auto Mechanics and Diesel Fitters.

In his keynote address, Rod Hilton acknowledged the contribution APTC is making towards educating women in PNG. According to him, “the impact of this contribution goes further than giving women job or income earning opportunities.”

APTC has had more than 1900 PNG graduates including those graduating at this ceremony. Overall, since the College was established in 2007, more than 8700 students across the region have graduated from APTC with Australian Certificates.