Twenty-two managers from twelve Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions in the country are pioneer graduates of a leadership and management training which began in September 2017.
This training, conducted by the International Education Agency and Australia’s Federation Training, was aimed at developing and enhancing leadership and management skills of TVET teachers.
The training was an initiative of the National Department of Education (NDoE) and supported by the Australian Government through the PNG-Australia Partnership.
NDoE’s Acting Deputy Secretary for TVET and UNESCO Wini Leka spoke at the graduation highlighting the importance of TVET institutions in the country and the need to have better skilled educational managers in this field.
“People who hold leadership roles in PNG’s TVET institutions must be given professional support to teach their students as well as communicate, coordinate and lead their institutions,” Mr Leka said.
“The 22 teachers were selected to undergo this training because they held management roles in their respective institutions. If we want our economy to grow and thrive, we need to invest in our human resources, starting with the very people who prepare future leaders of a nation – the teachers,” he said.
Acting Principal of Hoskins Girls Technical College and a graduate of this leadership training Mary Josephine Sausa said, “The training energized us and created a sense of purpose and direction in performing leadership responsibilities.”
First Secretary at the Australian High Commission Fuchsia Hepworth was pleased to see a good number of female TVET graduands and she encouraged them to put into practise what they learned.
“As you rise, remember to bring others with you. You have a role to play to support, to provide opportunities, and to bring many more women in to help strengthen PNG TVET institutions”, Ms Hepworth told the graduands.
The Australian Government is proud to partner with PNG Government departments, training institutions, churches and NGOs to support the leaders of tomorrow.