National Volunteer Service has begun strengthening its partnership with West New Britain Province as part of efforts to expand professional volunteer placements across the province.
The move follows the recent nationwide volunteer and partner organisation recruitment drive launched by the National Volunteer Service (NVS). The agency’s visit to West New Britain aims to revive long-standing partnerships while identifying opportunities to address priority service delivery needs in the province.
The week-long engagement began with a courtesy visit to West New Britain Provincial Administrator Mr. Leo Mapmani and will also include meetings with the Provincial Management Team.
Mr. Mapmani welcomed the initiative, describing the partnership as timely for the province as it continues to face growing socio-economic challenges.
He said West New Britain continues to experience major service delivery gaps, particularly in remote communities, while rising youth unemployment has become an increasing concern for the provincial administration.
Mr. Mapmani said collaboration with NVS could provide a sustainable solution by bringing skilled professionals into critical sectors such as education and healthcare while also creating meaningful opportunities for young people through volunteer service.
A key part of the visit includes inspections at Moramora Technical School, which has been proposed as the future site of the NVS New Guinea Islands Regional Volunteer Academy.
The academy is expected to serve as a training and orientation centre for volunteers deployed throughout the Islands region.
NVS Acting Executive Director Jerry David said the proposed academy would deliver long-term economic and development benefits for the province.
Mr. David said recent National Executive Council decisions in 2025 directed NVS to significantly increase volunteer placements nationwide, with West New Britain identified as a strategic location for the New Guinea Islands region.
He explained that establishing the regional academy would not only provide short-term manpower support but also create a long-term pipeline of skilled professionals to support sectors such as health, education, and agriculture at the local level.
The NVS team will continue stakeholder consultations and site inspections throughout the province this week while finalising the terms of a Memorandum of Agreement with the provincial government.
The engagement forms part of the NVS Council’s broader 2026 target of increasing its workforce to 900 professional volunteers across Papua New Guinea, with volunteer placements tailored to the specific development needs of host provinces like West New Britain.
