In a world dominated by challenges, Jeremiah Litau’s journey from the educational corridors of engineering in Unitech to the operational frontlines in Ramu Nico, stands as an ambitious and persistent story of pushing forward.
This young man hails from Mouklen village on Rambutso Island in Manus Province, which has a history of its own. Originally Mouklen is a combination of two villages, their village people migrated to the Baluan Island however due to some difference they were relocated again to a plantation on Rambutso Island.
Litau’s tertiary journey began in 2017 at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology in Morobe Province, where he studied the program mechanical engineering.
Being very ambitious, his next big leap came when he applied for a New Zealand scholarship to attend the University of Auckland and, remarkably so, was accepted, which set him on a two-year journey in 2018. By embarking on a new path this meant that he left Unitech, to study in New Zealand which would further shape his future.
Litau’s thirst for knowledge did not stop after graduating from the University of Auckland in 2019, he came back to Unitech to pursue his four years mechanical engineering program in 2020.
However, upon his return he discovered a hurdle he had not anticipated; the differences in curriculum meant he cannot skip year levels so he has to start all over again.
In 2023, Unitech held its annual career fair at the Taraka campus, this was a time of many opportunities for students where they got to engage with organisations, companies and other industries that have partnered and had participated in this wonderful event.
Litau being a final year student ventured out of his cocoon of a dormitory room and went opportunity hunting. He walked through the crowded area of decorative booths with brochures and giveaways and different companies and organisation’s banners and posters displayed, highlighting the various career pathways and industry information.
As he navigated his way through the different booths, his eyes landed on this one particular booth all in yellow with the company’s banner, and there it was Ramu NiCo. He got intrigued, so he walked over to the booth where he met Ramu NiCo’s HR team Jeffers Heptol and Michelle.
He recalled not being able to differentiate Ramu Agro and Ramu NiCo, which was a funny moment for him, so that afternoon, he did a quick research about everything he needed to know about Ramu NiCo.
Intrigued by the prospects of the Ramu NiCo’s Graduate Development Scheme 2024 program, he applied on a whim, recognizing it as a good opportunity for him, and getting the response from the HR team that if he was successful, they would give him a call.
And with that, every day was a day of anticipation, a day of waiting, waiting for calls and emails from various industries that he had applied for.
“On October 31st, I received a phone call that changed everything,” Litau recalls.
That day, he made his way to Eriku from school. Eriku is a mini world trade centre inside Papua New Guinea’s second capital, Lae City.
Litau found himself drawn to a group of Catholics engaged in prayer, a comforting act of worship that reminds him of his upbringing in Port Moresby. He walked with the parishioners and after their prayers he exchanged pleasantries with them.
He remembered one of the elders telling him that because of his choice of joining them in prayer, God will bless him. Little did he know, this moment of connection would be a part of his fruitful journey.
Later that afternoon, at precisely 3 o’clock in the afternoon, his phone rang. The HR representative from Ramu Nico was on the line, delivering the news of his successful shortlisting.
“It felt surreal and I still have a screenshot of the phone call from that afternoon,” he happily recalled.
Three interviews later, including a technical interview from one of the departments in Basamuk Refinery, Litau found himself getting ready to join Ramu NiCo, renowned for being the largest nickel and cobalt mine in Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific.
He shared his memories of the ferry ride to Basamuk as having a feeling of exploration and new beginnings.
Litau stepped onto the wharf, taking in his new surroundings, his new environment and bracing himself of his own wandering thoughts. What will I be expecting? What is out there beyond those pipes and thick acidic smokes?
He remembered thinking of the word ‘refinery’ and what it would actually look like and upon seeing the refinery site with the pipes reaching into the sky, upon sight he not only saw the refinery as a place of opportunity but also a challenge for him.
“It is a new little world of challenges and obstacles as well as learning all waiting for me” Litau noted.
He remembers putting on his new Ramu NiCo uniform and he felt happy that he is now working for a mining company.
“Every day is a new experience and I am happy about my training,” he said.
Ramu NiCo is his first introduction into the mining industry and he is adjusting and learning as much as he can.
“When it comes to the mining environment, they put a lot of priority into safety and training into high-work risk,” he said.
Today, at 27 years old, Jeremiah is thriving as part of the fixed equipment section at the Basamuk Refinery, where he specialises in the maintenance of pumps, motors, mills and valves.
Litau’s journey so far has reflected the balance between theory and practice.
“School is all about theory; now, it is about application,” he said
With an eye on the horizon, this Mouklen young man is content to gain further experience at Ramu Nico. With the opportunity to rise with the company, he would embrace it with open arms.
Jeremaiah-Litau-pictured-working-at-the-FIX-Plant-at-Ramu-NiCos-Basamuk-Refinery