THE Information and Communications Technology (ICT) workshop spearheaded by First Lady, Sandra Granger, held its graduation ceremony for adolescents from over 14 villages in Region Seven, on September 6, 2019. The training programme began in August and lasted close to a month giving a total of 46 youths the opportunity to learn from professionals in the ICT sector.

During the graduation ceremony, at the newly-commissioned Kamarang Primary school, First Lady of Guyana, Sandra Granger, stated that it is the government’s aim to ensure all persons, despite where they live, have equal access to education in an effort to afford every individual the same opportunities for growth.

“Regardless of where you live in Guyana, you are living in the modern world and you have to be equipped to deal with it and this is why this programme is so important and is certified by the Board of Industrial Training. We have to start going to our interior locations so that the young people understand and can come to grips with technology and the knowledge that they need to perform in the modern world, because once we get technology, you will be able to communicate across your villages, and throughout the world, without having to leave your home. You can work from home and you can create and share ideas. All of that you are going to learn through this,” Mrs. Granger said.

In addition to the students who graduated from the ICT programme, an additional 30 students participated in training in Stem Robotics. The two-day robotics camp was conducted in the Waramadong village by students at the D.C Caesar Fox Secondary School. The First Lady, Sandra Granger, donated two Robotic kits to the D.C Caesar Fox Secondary School, and Minister of state, Dawn Hastings-Williams donated an additional two Robotic kits to the school.

Minister Hastings-Williams spoke on the government’s future plan to develop the country as it relates to science and technology. She disclosed that the government has allocated monies in its budget to develop the ITC sector and reminded the students to align themselves to benefit from the opportunities that will be presented to them.

“The Government of Guyana, under His Excellency, has established what we call NEST which simply means National Endowment for Science and Technology. It is a special fund that the President puts aside every year and if a community or a school requests laptops or anything to do with science and technology, there is this special fund that the Ministry of the Presidency has to boost you up and fund some of the programs that you have,” Minister Hastings-Williams said. You are not inferior because you are Indigenous, if you are given the opportunities and the encouragement, the skills, tools and equipment, you can make it like anybody else,” Hastings pointed out.

Students of both programmes expressed elation to have been given the opportunity to learn about the sector and have a practical understanding about the impact they could have on the development of the country if they are involved in the ICT sector.