Carnegie launches Nutrition for Dietary Assistant Programme

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, April 17, 2017

As the Carnegie School of Home Economics (CHSE) responds to the needs of the community with the assortment of programmes being offered in Home Economics, more emphasis is being placed on improving the quality of life of all citizens, with the introduction of a new diploma programme aimed at better nutrition education.

The Home Economics School today launched its new Nutrition for Dietary Assistant Programme that covers such topics as the maintenance of sanitary standards in food handling and the enforcement of dietary food regulations.

Addressing the ceremony at the school in High Street, Georgetown, Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings noted that the Chronic Disease Department of the ministry has reported that among the top ten causes of death in Guyana, half of them are non-communicable diseases that can, in part, be prevented by proper nutritional diet.

“The Carnegie School of Home Economics recognises the significant lack of trained dietary and nutrition professionals and developed the Nutrition for Dietary Assistant Diploma Programme as a crucial to fill in this gap,” said Dr. Cummings.

The Minister further noted that “The dietary assistants upon graduation will work along with registered dietitians to plan, prepare and serve meals to patients with specific dietary and nutritional needs.”

Outgoing Principal of the CSHE, Penelope Harris said “as we embrace the competency-based mode of delivery, we want to make sure that our students going into the world of work are on point in terms of their preparation…we also want to ensure that those students who wish to proceed to higher studies will have a clear and seamless articulation to the University of Guyana and other institutions of higher learning.”

Harris said as time passes, it is her hope that the programme is added to the curriculum of other institutions of learning in Guyana.

The two-year programme is a comprehensive dietary nutrition course and the next batch of students will begin their training in September 2019.

The renowned Carnegie School of Home Economics, was founded in 1933 by the Scotsman Andrew Carnegie through the Trade Centres for Women of New York and the curriculum was aimed at giving every girl an opportunity to learn the skills and attitudes essential for a good, family and community life. The school has since expanded its programmes catering for both male and female in a wider variety of fields.

 

By: Nateshia Isaacs