Experiencing the real working world helps students lay the foundation for applying the knowledge and skills they gain in the lecture rooms. Therefore, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between IBSUniversity, IBS College of TVET, and Barlow Industries has allowed IBS College of TVET students to participate in a field visit to Barlow Industries’ head office and worksite.

On Wednesday, the 1st of October 2025, IBS College of TVET’s Batch 2 Certificate 4 students from the school of Business, Accounting, IT, and Human Resources, visited Barlow Industry’s operations at 6 Mile, Port Moresby. This group is the second lot of students to visit Barlow Industries as part of their field visits to gain industrial insights. This was made possible through an MoU signed between IBS College of TVET and Barlow Industries in July this year. The basis of the MoU is to strengthen academia-industry collaboration and create valuable pathways for student development. This partnership will provide internship opportunities for students to gain practical exposure, bridging the gap between classroom theory and industry expectations.

The students were given a tour of Barlow Industries, beginning at the Finance Office, then to each of the workshops where their building and construction products, including Sheetmetal, Roll Forming, Glass & Aluminum, and Mesh & Bar, are fabricated.

Barlow’s Finance Office, led by Corporate Services Manager Ms. Padmaja Thota, along with Mr Patrick Francis Simeon – Inventory Officer, Mr. Wesley Walo – Procurement Officer, and Mr. Jeffrey Jnr Osa – Accounts Supervisor, gave the students insights on the roles and functions of the finance office in terms of procurement, accounting, and inventory.

From the Finance Office, the students were then taken through each of the workshops where their products are made, beginning at the Sheetmetal workshop. The Sheetmetal workshop operates under the skillful guidance of Mr. Thomas Ninimo, the acting-Production Manager. Mr. Ninimo gave insights on the type of sheet-metal products they produce per their clients’ requests, then had a little pep talk with the students. As an experienced tradesman, but above that as a parent, he encouraged the students to find their passion, commit to that passion, and grasp whatever opportunity given to them in order to grow and be masters in their respective fields. Coming from a completely different field from the students, the light moment shared had the students listen attentively, turning the visit into a brief moment of encouragement and inspiration.

The students were then led into the Roll Forming Section, under the supervision of Fitter Mechanist Mr. Jomena Panne Monna, mould products such as roofing irons and steel water tanks.

From there, they went on to the Glass & Aluminum workshop, where Mr. Kila Guru, the Senior Sales Estimator & Workshop Coordinator, Mr. Lama Kwalimu, Site Supervisor & Inventory Controller, and Mr. Henry Roi, the Aluminum Fabricator, went through the different types of aluminum and glass products they provide to their clients. Courtesy of Mr. Guru’s team and Barlow Industries, the visitors were each given a 20cm x 20cm x 2mm freshly cut high-quality mirror that was specially cut out from a whole sheet of mirror and given as a souvenir.

The group made their final visit at the Mesh & Bar workshop, where products such as fences and rebars (used for building foundations) are fabricated under the skillful supervision of the Supervisor, Mr. Murray Kila.

The students concluded their visit with Ms. Edith Agaru, the Senior HR and Safety Officer, who had accompanied them all throughout the visit. From an HR Officer’s perspective, Ms. Agaru stressed to the students the importance of HR divisions in organizations and how the current trend in the workforce influences the dynamics of HR roles.

Madlyn Kirio, a Certificate 4 in Information Technology, shared her thoughts on the field visit: “The industrial visit to Balow Industry was really insightful. Even though we didn’t get to visit the IT department, seeing how the Accounting, Business, and HR departments operate left a big impact on me. It was inspiring to see how different areas work together, and it gave me a fresh perspective on how IT can support and connect with other fields in the future. As a student, I believe visits like this are valuable because they not only help us see theory in practice but also broaden our perspective, preparing us to work in diverse, real-world environments.”

Barlow Industries General Manager, Mr. Kiran Shivaraj, thanked the head of IBS College, Mr. Sagara Wijeratne, for choosing to partner with Barlow Industries in academia-industry collaboration and gave his commitment to continue the partnership into the future.

As a business involved in building and construction for over 50 years, Barlow Industries prides itself on supplying high-quality building materials to its customers and has been a key player in contributing to nation-building since pre-independence, and IBS College of TVET is proud to partner with such reputable organizations in educating and training the next generation of Papua New Guineans.

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