First batch to graduate soon, as Heavy duty machinery programme expands at LTI
GINA, GUYANA, Friday, February 10, 2017
Guyana Gold Fields has been added to the list of partners supporting the Linden Technical Institute (LTI) heavy duty training programme. The mining company is the most recent to join MACORP, the College of the North Atlantic and the Marine Institute of New Foundland of Canada.
Deputy Chief Education Officer, with responsibility for Technical Education, Patrick Chinedu Onwuzirike says that despite the many challenges, the programme has been successful and continues to attract major support.
Deputy Chief Education Officer, with responsibility for technical education, Patrick Chinedu Onwuzirike speaking with the Government Information Agency
“The programme is going good, though (it has) some challenges, it is expanding… One of the areas we want to develop again come September at LTI is the occupational Health and Safety Programme; that will train Occupational Health and safety officers, and this is another partnership with the company who has given financial support to the programme, “Onwuzirike told the Government Information Agency (GINA) during a recent interview.
The programme, which trains students to operate and repair heavy duty machinery, is the first of its kind in the Caribbean. It was officially launched at the Linden Technical Institute on June 14, 2016. The first batch of students will soon graduate from the programme.
Onwuzirike explained that the Ministry of Education is now looking at the curriculum to ensure it coincides with the local needs, especially since Guyana is expanding its oil and gas industry.
“We are at the moment looking at the curriculum to ensure it is in line with the local needs, especially with the mining and the oil and gas industry and as well as the other local industry. We will have officers that will be equipped to attend to any Occupational Health and Safety issues in the workplace, “Onwuzirike said.
The programme was made possible through the Canadian funded, CARICOM Education for Employment (C-EFE) Programme, under which, the Government of Canada is contributing $19M to support the Caribbean region in developing demand-driven vocational education programmes.
Under C-EFE, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in November 2012, which saw MACORP plugging a total of US$25,000 towards improving the technical and vocational training programme at the LTI with technical support from the College of the North Atlantic and the Marine Institute of New Foundland, Canada.
By: Synieka Thorne