After ten years of operation in Papua New Guinea with medical ships and land-based teams, YWAM Medical Ships Australia & Papua New Guinea (YWAM MS) is delighted to be expanding their work by establishing a training and outreach campus in Port Moresby.
The Port Moresby campus will be established as a satellite campus of Australian registered training organisation, YWAM Medical Ships Training (RTO No. 30614). Vocational training programs will be offered in a range of areas, including healthcare, hospitality, administration, faith development, and media.
PNG is currently facing a critical skills shortage across a range of professions in Papua New Guinea, identifying a clear need to increase accessible, quality vocational training and higher education for young people. In 2011, it was estimated that 90% of young people in Port Moresby were unemployed.¹
YWAM MS’ training programs will be unique in the fact that they will combine skills training with character development and service opportunities, helping to instil a passion within young people to build healthy communities for a healthy Papua New Guinea.
The YWAM MS Port Moresby Campus will carry YWAM’s unique Christian ethos: a dynamic, live-learn, multicultural campus that provides young people a platform to grow and flourish in their unique strengths.
About the property – “The Jetty”
“The Jetty” was brought to YWAM MS’ attention during discussions with local leaders in 2019. The Jetty includes a two storey building on 3,400 square metres of waterfront land near Vabukori village, just five kilometres from Port Moresby’s city centre. The property was originally built as a Water Sports Complex for the South Pacific Games in 2015.
Renovations are currently underway to re-purpose the site as a vibrant training campus for young people. The first phase of construction includes student accommodation, kitchen, bathrooms, and training facilities.
YWAM Medical Ships Port Moresby Campus Leader, Matt Scott, said it was exciting to have the development underway
“Due to a land dispute, the building on the site had been neglected and badly vandalised for the last number of years. It has been quite a bit of work to clean up the property and rebuild.
“Things are really taking shape now though – a great group of guys from Vabukori village have been helping with the construction, they’ve been with us every day helping to make it all happen. That’s been a real highlight for me – they will be able to look back knowing they helped pave the way for other young people,” said Matt.
The full development of the property will happen in a series of stages, with the dream for it to eventually include a medical centre, radio station, a dental semi-trailer for local schools, and an outreach support centre that will serve YWAM MS’ work across the nation.
“Our desire is to strategically link training with outreach, our dream is to see young people passionate about service and building their nation,” said Matt.
The YWAM Medical Ship, MV YWAM PNG, is also in Port Moresby, getting ready to deploy to Western Province to reach remote communities with essential healthcare and training.
Current view of the Jetty
Proposed development
¹ World Bank (2019); Papua New Guinea Urban Youth Employment Project: 2018 Impact Evaluation and Results (English). Washington, D.C; uddWorld Bank Group, pg 10.
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