Machine-readable electrician licenses for 2019
– contractors encouraged to use eco-friendly applications in field
– knowledge of National Electric Code is vital
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, March 14, 2019
Four new electrician licenses will be rolled out in 2019. These will serve to effectively regulate and bolster the electrical sector. Licenses of this nature will include the “Electrical Contractor’s Assistant License, Electrical Technician Contractor Level 1, Electrical Technician Contractor and the Professional Electrical Contractor License.”
This was disclosed by Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, in her remarks at the sixth Annual Electrical Contractors Conference this morning at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).
“All of the new categories with the exception of the Electrical Contractor’s Assistant [License] will be valid for 3 years. The Electrical Contractor’s Assistant will have to be renewed yearly”, Minister Ferguson stated. The Junior Minister also noted that “similar to the current Driver’s License, these licenses will be machine readable.”
Minister Ferguson noted that the theme of the conference “Benefits of an Eco-Friendly Green Energy in an Oil Developing Economy” is “apt and relevant to where our country is going” as reference was made to Guyana’s emerging oil and gas sector.
“The Ministry of Public Infrastructure was given a mandate by President David Granger to ensure that public buildings and facilities are retrofitted to provide alternate energy.”
Minister Ferguson called on electrical contractors to incorporate an eco-friendly approach to their field.
“You should encourage home builders of the following benefits to be derived… [such as] lighting options that aide to reduce energy costs and help the environment,” she added.
Minister Ferguson further congratulated the Guyana Electrical Inspectorate (GEI), an electrical safety authority and regulatory body within the Ministry of Public Information, for organising the conference for the sixth year in a row.
In addition, Chief Electrical Inspectorate, Arnold Barclay, called on electrical contractors to display confidence and enthusiasm and to familiarise themselves with the National Electric Code, knowledge of electric designs and sound mathematical concepts.
The government’s hosting of the conference also works towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 7, which is focused on ensuring access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable modern energy for all. The theme of the conference directly coincides with Target 4 of SDG 7 which aims to “enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology.”
Shaquille Bourne
Images: Giovanni Gajie