MOMASE LOCAL ARTIST TO RAISE FUNDS FOR TVET CENTRE IN SEPIK REGION

CAPTION: Local artists (Willie Sebas of Sagothorns Band, Amon Serum, Gedix Atege and Anton Narakau of West Kadah Band. Picture Supplied

BY VICKY BAUNKE, Goroka

A FUNDRAISING initiative has been taken to establish an industrial training college that will cater for a total population of 70% of Secondary School students in both East and West Sepik who cannot make it into Tertiary students and to build as a community investment into boosting the human resource of the Sepik population.

The idea is an initiative of Harold Malken a young educationist and Nathan Basia a human resource professional to raise funds to build the TVET centre that will cater for bulk of students missing out on Tertiary education.

According to Mr Malken in the past 2 years (2024 & 2025) there is a total of 24 Secondary schools in both East and West Sepik with a total of 3400 grade 12 students in 2024 only 850 secured spaces in Tertiary institutions while in 2025 from a total of 4380 grade 12 students only 1095 got selected.

Mr Malken said this highlighted that 70-80% of grade 12 students are left out and struggle their way through while many cannot make it because of the financial constraints on parents to fund Tertiary education and seek employment.

The initiative has brought together a group of local artists in the Momase from East Sepik including Morobe and Madang who have committed their support towards the initiative to raise funds and contribute to this worthy cause.

The Momase Legends includes (Willie Sebas of Sagothorns Band, Amon Serum, Gedix Atege and Anton Narakau of West Kadah Band will be playing live in Goroka this Friday at the Club McKenzie.

This will mark the first fundraising event towards the initiative, while the other two fund raisers will be 2x Corporate Dinners in Lae and Port Moresby around June and September respectively 2025.

While the initiative is in its premature stage, the duo says 50% of syllabus built will be geared towards providing industry oriented trainings while another 50% of training syllabus will be geared towards self-employment in all its proposed programs.

The duo has been working in collaboration since 2025 and have also developed the course syllabus for the following Certificate and Diploma Programs to start of the school with:

1. Certificate in Accounting
2. Diploma in Accounting
3. Certificate in Human Resource Management
4. Diploma in Human Resource Management
5. National Certificates 1 &2 in Automotive Electrical
6. National Certificate 1 & 2 in Carpentry
7. Technical Trade Certificate in Motor Vehicle Mechanic
8. Certificate in Banking
9. Diploma in Inland Fishing

However, talks with the Department of Higher Research Science and Technology for registration of the college in line with the Higher Education General Provision Act 2014 and Higher and Technical Education Reform Act 2020 and decided a commencement date in January 2027.

However, dialogues with the stakeholders on the ground are already underway and a proposed area in Maprik has been identified to establish the college.

He said though both provinces have nursing colleges, there is no business or technical college to meet the demands of TVET education and there is a need for a TVET centre that will serve both the East and West Sepik grade 12 school leavers population.