Eco Pacific Tourism boss calls for Education system overhaul to bridge vocational loophole

The Director of Papua New Guinea’s first standalone tourism institute has issued a challenge to the National Department of Education, calling for a systematized approach to vocational training to ensure no student is left behind by the country’s 1-6-6 education reform.

Alphonse Foimae Junior, Director of Eco Pacific Tourism, applauded the government's 1-6-6 program, which aims to keep students in school from Preparatory through to Grade 12, but said there is a critical loophole for those who do not transition into the university system.

"While we are concentrating on systematizing something that is good for our university-bound students, we are forgetting those who are going to be pushed out by the system," Foimae said.
"It is easy to say we have vocational schools, but it has never been properly systematized. We must give these students the same documented offers and recognition that university students receive."

The institute, which was recently mandated by the Madang TVET Division as a premier standalone tourism training body, is expanding its reach to meet this demand. Eco Pacific Tourism now operates two distinct campuses in Madang [Matugar] and Central [Inauaia]

A veteran educator, Foimae emphasized that the current gaps in the TVET sector are not just about funding, but the values imparted to the youth.

"Nowadays the problem is not money, it’s values," Foimae said. "Technical students are just as capable as those in universities, they are technically capable. If we give them the attention and teach them values, the country will be okay."

Foimae is calling a direct dialogue Education Minister Lucas Dekena and Secretary Dr. Uke Kombra, to address resource shortages in private and vocational institutes. He said while major projects like the PNG LNG and various mining sectors require skilled labor, local graduates often lack the resources to complete their training to industry standards.

"I invite the Minister and the Secretary to have a dialogue with me. We rightfully deserve that recognition and those extra resources because we are looking after the group of people who constitute the majority of this country’s population."

Meanwhile, Foimae has announced 160 scholarships for students across the Kairuku District. The initiative aims to trial a model where Grade 12 leavers are automatically funneled into technical pathways with the full backing of the Department of Education.

The Eco Pacific Tourism institute offers National Certificate [NC] 1 and 2 courses in tourism, with diploma programs scheduled to begin in July. The training is competency-based, involving practical skills such as guesthouse construction and commercial cookery alongside theory.