Australian High Commission
Papua New Guinea

Australia-Pacific Technical College produces skilled workers

More than 130 Papua New Guineans have been rewarded for their efforts in successfully completing their study at the Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC).

The new graduates were awarded with internationally recognised Australian qualifications in 12 different programs, as APTC marked its first graduation for 2017.

The graduates who have completed various courses in business, carpentry, mechanics and tourism will now seek to advance their careers.

Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea Bruce Davis said, “You deserve to be proud of what you have achieved and what you will do in the future. You will leave APTC with the skills to enhance your country’s economic progress.”

Mr Davis noted the contribution APTC has made to the broader Papua New Guinea-Australia partnership.

“Today, Australia and Papua New Guinea are placing increasing emphasis on building economic and trade relations, mutually beneficial political cooperation, regional cooperation, institutional interactions and people-to-people connections,” said Mr Davis.

Around 2,300 Papua New Guineans have graduated from APTC since its establishment in 2007. Of this, over 600 are women, including 27 at this graduation.

APTC is an innovative development project funded by the Australian Government, which delivers Australian skills and qualifications for a wide range of vocational careers for skilled workers across the Pacific.

The APTC is an Australian Government initiative that was announced at the Pacific Islands Forum in October 2006. The APTC was then established in 2007 and designed as a centre of training excellence, to help Pacific Island men and women to gain Australian-standard skills and qualifications for a wide range of vocational careers throughout the Pacific. APTC offers a wide array of vocational courses in the areas of Tourism and Hospitality, Community Services and Health, Trades and Technology, Leadership and Management and Training and Assessment, with campuses in Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.