W. Australia to help set up RI maritime center

W. Australia to help set up RI maritime center

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's first maritime training center,
designed to train fishermen and upgrade their operations, will
soon be built in Ambon, capital of Maluku, with the assistance of
Western Australia government.

Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief told reporters yesterday
that the project will get underway later this year

He announced that a team from Western Australia was conducting
a feasibility study, after receiving Western Australia Deputy
Minister for Education, Employment and Training Ian Hill.

Western Australia has pledged A$24 million in grants through
the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau
(AIDAB) for the project, Latief said.

Latief explained that the training center is aimed at
upgrading the fishery industry in eastern Indonesia where it is
still run, in large part, using traditional methods. A second
training center is being envisaged in Medan, he added.

The project was one of the results from Latief's tour to
Australia late last year to promote bilateral cooperation in the
field of manpower.

Graeme Davy, the managing director of the Western Australian
College of Customized Training, accompanied Hill to the meeting.
He said his government would help the government train Indonesian
instructors to teach at the training center.

"We have a lot of experience in the fishery industry and we
have many vocational colleges and training centers to support
this industry," he said, citing TAFES, the acronym for training
and further education. (rms)