The Ministry of Education, in keeping with its vision to expand the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme, yesterday sealed a Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) deal to the tune of US$9.6M for the construction of two technical institutions, among other benefits.
The actual construction of the schools to be built at Leonora, Region Three (West Demerara/ Essequibo Islands) and at Park Mahaicony, Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) cost just under $1B.
The institutes are expected to be completed in nine months once construction begins, and will house 200 students each. The remainder of the money will be utilized in others areas, including capacity building.
Speaking at the signing at the Ministry of Finance boardroom on Main Street, Georgetown, Education Minister Shaik Baksh said the schools will not only supplement the 10 already in existence, but will increase access to skills training and further promote interest in this area.
He said the schools, apart from their regular programmes, will offer short courses in the various areas of community development, craft and information technology.
The TVET programme, he explained, forms part of the ministry’s strategic plan and offers students an alternative path to make a positive contribution to the development of their country.
Baksh said too that currently, the Secondary Competency Certificate Programme (SCCP), which aims to reduce the number of school drop-outs at the secondary level, is being offered at 24 schools and his ministry intends to up this number to 70 by 2013.
The SCCP, he told reporters, will be offered at Grade Nine from the next school year.
That programme, Baksh said, will equip students who leave before the completion of the secondary cycle with a certificate that makes them employable on the job market.
The secondary schools, the minister pointed out, will serve as the feeder for the technical institutes which in turn will provide students with the requisite skills to pursue higher studies in various specialised areas.
Baksh reported that a task team has been set up to oversee the technical and vocational programme which also places focus on the areas of literacy and numeracy, and efforts will be made to have the programme compatible with regional standards.
Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Jennifer Webster, disclosed that the CDB has provided financing to the tune of $US 7.5 M for the project, while the Government contributed the remainder.
The minister said the project is a reflection of the Government’s commitment to the delivery of quality technical and vocational education.
She said under the programme, the Ministry of Education will receive the necessary equipment for the operationalisation of the schools and the training of technical instructors.
Webster stressed that the project will be closely monitored and urged the contractor, R. Basso and Sons Limited, to not only deliver the schools on time, but to make sure the taxpayers get value for their money.