Infrastructure Minister says staff training tops his list of priorities
Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson
Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson wants that Ministry to epitomise professionalism and bold and innovative ideas.And he intends to achieve that objective with systematic investments in staff education and training, according to sentiments he expressed after interactions with staff from the various departments and agencies that fall under that Ministry.

Those departments and agencies are the Works Services Group, the Guyana Power and Light, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

“We have young, vibrant people in our midst. It is therefore imperative that career advancement is key to the further development within this Ministry,” Minister Patterson declared.

Instructions have accordingly been given to the various departments’ heads to ensure that all staff members be exposed to both local and international training.

“Gone are those days when only a predominant few benefited from training programmes/courses; that circle has to be widened,” the Minister declared.

The knowledge and skills of the staff, the Minister further stated, are the Ministry’s most important competitive advantage.
“Therefore,” he reasoned, “we must strive to continuously strengthen, upgrade and extend them to younger minds.

“Activities in the field of education and training that develop qualified and motivated employees will remain one of our priority strategic policies also in the future,” he added.

The Minister declared that the perception of unprofessionalism and poor communication skills in the public domain would be addressed with some urgency.

“For a long time, staff adopted certain behavioural attitudes and patterns, so it will be a challenge to break that. However, I am confident we will make progress to change that viewpoint,” he declared.

Although still familiarising himself with the operational aspects of the departments and agencies under the purview of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Minister Patterson said he is generally satisfied with the knowledge and skills shown by the staff at all levels. However, he firmly believes that opportunities for training must be available to more staff members.

“The future and progression of the Infrastructure Ministry depend on it,” he declared.

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