Congratulations to inaugural Department of Finance graduates who graduated in April from the University of PNG. These graduates are the first employees to have benefited from a visionary medium-term initiative to skilling and professionalising the public service financial sector. There are a total of nine graduates, six Bachelor of Business Accounting and three Bachelor of Public Policy.
More staff will complete their studies in 2016 including 20 officers from Provincial and District offices who are due to graduate in 2017 from the Bachelor of Public Finance & Accounting. These colleagues will take their skills back to their Provincial and District offices and play a major role in building whole-of-organisation capability.
One of the graduates, Mr Gabi Kila, First Assistant Secretary, PDFMD, acknowledges that even for an experienced public servant of many years, it is challenging to balance both university study and work commitments. He says he has gained a lot from the degree and highlights gaining new skills and strategies in managing conflict and developing public speaking skills to bring to the workplace. His next step will be to complete an MBA. Mr Keith Dihm, First Assistant Secretary ICTD added that the Secretary is a great champion of training.