PM Marape urges UPNG graduates to be job creators, not seekers
Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has encouraged graduating University of PNG (UPNG)students to get into self-employment.
He said this when addressing the 65th UPNG Graduation at the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby today in which 396 students from the School of Business and Public Policy graduated.
More students will graduate tomorrow and Wednesday, the first time ever away from UPNG Campus, because of COVID-19.
“As you know, Government is investing in a big way in SME (small and medium enterprises) in our country,” Prime Minister Marape told the graduating students.
“We have K200 million this year, we will have K200 million next year, and even for the next five years or even 10 years.
“There will be special incubation funds for SMEs in our country.
“I know that every year, when we graduate classes, many come out with the uncertainty of employment.”
Prime Minister Marape urged the UPNG Council to ensure that students were taught not to look for jobs but to create jobs.
“These are the types of programmes that the university must introduce into your teachings,” he said.
“Students who graduate from this university must not just be looking for jobs, but must have every ability to create jobs or be self-employed.
“There are many programmes that we are running.
“I want to encourage every able-thinking Papua New Guinean to think about this and run with it, going into the future.
“Our country has a lot of opportunities, and I don’t want the graduating class to come out and say that you can’t make it in the 2020s in our country, that you can’t be successful.
“Even if there is no job for you, how can you create a job yourself?
“That must be in the mindset of the graduating class.”
Prime Minister Marape said going into the future, universities, colleges and the entire education sector must teach students to be job creators.
“Education is not about getting a degree and finding a job,” he said.
“Education is a pursuit someone undertakes for enlightenment of mind.”
Prime Minister Marape encouraged universities, and especially UPNG being the premier institution in the country, to be the forerunner in promoting this concept to students.
