Port Moresby, PNG – On Wednesday, 17th December 2025, the IBS College of TVET held its 13th graduation ceremony, marking a significant milestone for a new cohort of skilled professionals. Under the theme “Skilled Today, Leading Tomorrow,” the college celebrated the achievements of 182 graduates who completed their Certificate 3 and Certificate 4 programs in Business, Accounting, Information Technology, and Human Resource Management.
Mr. Sagara Wijeratne, Head of IBS College of TVET, opened the ceremony by welcoming the graduands, their families, and distinguished guests:
“Today marks another key milestone in our journey — strengthening Papua New Guinea with a new generation of young graduates today, aligning with our vision of enriching lives through world-class education, training and research.”
He noted that the ceremony strengthens the nation by introducing a new generation of trained professionals.
Among the invited guests were Mr. Cameron Mackellar, CEO of Brian Bell Group, as the Chief Guest and Ms. Tracy Wafewa, Talent and Learning Resource Center Manager at Steamships as the Guest Speaker.
Mr. Mackellar shared his personal story to inspire the graduates.
Having grown up in Port Moresby, he detailed a career path that was far from linear. He left school in Year 10 to pursue a carpentry apprenticeship. He later spent years travelling through Europe, Africa, and the Americas, gaining what he termed a “life experience education”.
He did not attend university for the first time until much later in life, completing an MBA while managing a family and a full-time career.
Since 2016, he has led the Brian Bell Group, focusing on giving back through the Sir Brian Bell Foundation, which has donated over 50 million Kina to health and education in PNG.
Mr. Mackellar shared what he calls his three pillars for success with the graduands, and they are engaging, passion and interesting:
“Be engaging means to be confident in your ability and ensure you are heard and seen. Being passionate means love what you do to reap the greatest rewards from your work, and being interesting means standing out amongst the 8 billion people in the world.
There’s 8 billion people in this world, there’s at least 8 million in Papua New Guinea. You need to stand out.” Said Mr. Mackellar
Ms. Wafewa followed with insights into what the modern industry expects from new graduates.
Sharing her experience, she highlighted that while her university degree provided high-level theory, she initially lacked the “job-ready applications” needed for industry.
She praised the graduates’ competency-based training, noting that skills in IT, business administration, accounting, and human resources are exactly what companies like Steamships require to operate.
Ms. Wafewa encouraged graduates to be adaptable to changing technology, maintain high standards of professionalism, and focus on becoming effective problem solvers:
“When you step out there, the world, the industry keeps changing. It keeps shifting, so we need to be willing to learn, willing to embrace challenges, and look at it as a training opportunity”.
She concluded with a reminder that graduation is not an end, but the commencement of the next journey.
Whether entering the workforce, continuing studies or volunteering in their communities, the IBS College Class of 2025 was urged to use the values of IBS and the skills they have acquired to build a legacy and a stronger Papua New Guinea.