MULLG to support Madang Technical College
Madang's Town Mayor, Ishmael Yama, has confirmed that, Madang Urban Local Level Government (MULLG) will consider giving some financial assistance to the Madang Technical College annually to help with small projects.
Yama paid a courtesy visit to the college last Friday to show MULLG's support to the school and applauded Governor Ramsey Pariwa's recent assistance of K500, 000 to prepares itself towards becoming a Polytechnical institute in the future.
The Town Mayor said that he was privileged to be at the college and to have met with the teachers and student leaders after Governor Pariwa's visit on October 1.
In a brief meeting with the college principal, staff, and student leaders; Yama expressed his sincere apology for not being able to be at the college during the governor's visit, adding he was in Port Moresby following up on some project submissions for MULLG.
Yama explained that MULLG did not capture school assistance in this year's budget but will make sure it is included in next year's budget.
"We don’t have any financial support for educational institutions this year in our budget, but going forward, I would like to make a commitment and pledge MULLG's support to Madang Technical College. At this point in time, I can't make any commitments because there is nothing in our budget.
"But from next year onwards, we will try to squeeze in some funding assistance for the college.
"I think I have sighted a request from the college in my office, but at this point in time, we cannot entertain it because there is nothing in the budget for education. We will include it in next year's budget," Yama said.
The mayor, meanwhile; also indicated his government's willingness to engage students from Madang Technical College in MULLG's infrastructure construction and maintenance around town.
Yama said that he was impressed with the work that students from the Building and Construction, Plumbing and Sheet Metal, Furniture and Cabinet Making, plus Painting and Sign Writing departments are doing during their On- The- Job Trainings.
He stated, "MULLG will also look at engaging some of the students from this college to help with its infrastructure maintenance and construction around town. Instead of engaging expensive contractors to construct new buildings or even maintain rundown infrastructures, why don't we engage the students. It is part of their training."
The students usually do their OJT attachments for four weeks during their second year of studies.
Some of their recent attachments were with Madang Country Club, Globe Manufacturing Company, GMI Properties, JR Company, and others.
The Madang Government's assistance to the college on October 1 was to help with infrastructure maintenance and development as the institute begins discussions on the possibility of upgrading its status to a polytechnical college for the Momase Region in the near future.