More support needed for Linden Technical Institute’s heavy-duty programme
GINA, GUYANA, Tuesday, May 2, 2017
There is a need for more support from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to enhance the heavy-duty machinery programme implemented at the Linden Technical Institute (LTI), Region Ten.
This was revealed by the LTI’s senior lecturer D’Nell Boyce in an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA).
Linden Technical Institute’s Senior Lecturer D’Nell Boyce
Boyce explained that the institution has established a new heavy- duty equipment maintenance programme which resulted in the upgrading of the level of the workshop. Although the new maintenance programme began with 25 students, Boyce said that it quickly dropped to 10 due to some challenges encountered at the workshop.
“One of the challenges that we (LTI) face is that there are lots of areas that we have been working on especially since this programme uses, what we would call the capacity based mode of training, a new mode of training that is different than the traditional classroom based type of training, which is more hands on training that prefers using assessments as against examination,” the lecturer said.
“A heavy piece of equipment at the institution would be a big plus for us since we need that especially for some of the work we have to do. We need to have a functioning heavy equipment to do that work, and we all know the cost associated with a piece of heavy equipment which is not easy,” the senior lecturer added.
Boyce stressed that despite the challenges that they are encountering, the institution will work assiduously to overcome the issues, as well as to push for development.
Last year, the course was officially launched through the Canadian-funded, CARICOM Education for Employment (C-EFE) Programme, under which, the Government of Canada contributed $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 Machinery Corporation (MACORP) funding 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.
This resulted in the development of the heavy-duty programme and the refurbishing of the automotive workshop at the LTI to facilitate the programme.
By: Neola Damon