WHEN Police Minister, Willie Masiu stepped into the Lloyds Learning and Skills Development Academy in Arawa, he wasn’t just looking at classrooms. He was looking at Bougainville’s future.
The Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) minister toured the facility, hosted by the management of Lloyds Panguna Metals and Energy Limited, to witness how the academy is shaping the region’s young minds.
On behalf of the ABG and the people of Bougainville, he offered gratitude to the organization for stepping up to upskill local youth, steering them toward purposeful paths, and giving them a genuine start in life. He said individual personal development through these programs is the bedrock of a responsible Bougainville society.
Guiding the Minister through the Arawa Youth Centre was Sangram Mahapatra, the man spearheading the academy’s rollout. For Mahapatra and the leadership, the scope of the project reaches every corner of the region.
“From North, South and Central Bougainville, they represent the entire spectrum of Bougainville society. We are making a beginning. It is our Chairman, B Prabhakaran’s vision and our mission that all Bougainvillean youth between the age of 20 to 40 have the privilege of undergoing education, skill-based training and consequent employment,” Mahapatra said.
“It is our firm belief that these three foundations can bring this energetic youth in the right direction of nation building. This is a humble start to what we hope would be a tool to transform Bougainville.”
Right now, 150 trainees are part of Batch 1, putting in the hard work across various learning, upskilling, and development programs. To ease the financial weight on families and allow trainees to focus entirely on their growth, every participant receives a stipend alongside provided meals throughout their training.