A strategic partnership has been formed between two licensed training providers to deliver ECITB Global-certified training and other vocational programmes in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
The partnership between TWM Group and Petrotekno, which was facilitated by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s Global team, creates the first internationally certified training offering in PNG.
The collaborative approach aims to deliver high-quality training and development pathways for both unskilled and skilled Papua New Guinean workers.
TWM Group is an accredited Registered Training Organisation (RTO) under the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) in PNG.
The ECITB Global team with members of the TWM and Petrotekno teams
It offers training programmes and development pathways in metropolitan and remote locations across PNG, where it delivers waste and environmental services to the petroleum, mining, industrial and commercial sectors.
Petrotekno, which is based in Indonesia, is an international leading provider of operations, maintenance and construction skills training for the engineering construction, process and manufacturing industries.
It was named International Training Provider of the Year at the Engineering Construction Industry (ECI) Training & Development Awards in 2022, before sponsoring the same category a year later.
Global recognition in the industry
In announcing the partnership, TWM highlighted Petrotekno’s “experience and success” from projects such as Tangghu LNG in West Papua, Indonesia, and across projects in Asia and Africa. It says Petrotekno has “both the technical and cultural capability” that PNG requires to execute both short course and trade testing services.
Kori Chan, Managing Director of TWM Group, said: “This partnership is a key component to ensure investment in our country’s human capital and will help contribute toward capacity and capability building for the nation.
“We look forward to working with our overseas partners as they bring ample experience and wisdom in this specialist field of training.
“But, more importantly, it allows Papua New Guineans an opportunity to receive ECITB accreditation which will allow them to be globally recognised in the industry.”
Classroom learning (top) and Petrotekno’s Mobile Training Simulator
The news of the partnership was first revealed to delegates at the inaugural ECITB Global Training Provider Forum for Southeast Asia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Petrotekno and TWM Group both gave presentations at the forum into the work they are doing in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea respectively to upskill local workers through vocational training.
In its presentation, TWM revealed the training opportunities in PNG through the partnership will include traditional workshop courses and trade testing, remote training offerings and formal client partnerships for baseline accreditation levels.
Due to the remoteness of the locations for service delivery in PNG, Petrotekno’s Mobile Training Simulator will be put to use, for example as a welding or pipe shop, a rigging loft, control room, confined space entry, or as a classroom.