ONE hundred and seventy-five students of Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC) are now certified in various areas, having graduated at a ceremony in its Woolford Avenue, Georgetown, auditorium on Thursday. They were the 44th batch to be trained in Automotive Mechanics, Carpentry, Electrical Installation, Fitting and Machining, Plumbing, Masonry, Welding and Information Technology (IT).
In addressing the gathering at the graduation, Education Minister Shaik Baksh said his ministry is cognisant of the fact that the system has to be flexible to ensure students are suitably educated, given that not all are academically inclined.
Referring to the vocational types, he said: “We have to provide programmes to meet the various aptitudes and this is part of our strategic plan to build skills and competencies for persons in and out of school.”
Baksh said, to achieve that objective, the Ministry has instituted an alternative pathway through the provision of technical and vocational subjects at grads seven, eight, nine and 10, known as the Secondary Competency Certificate Programme (SCCP).
The SCCP exposes students to technical and vocational education, which increases their chances of being successful and furthering their development, he explained.
“This has been introduced to 35 secondary schools in Guyana and we intend to increase this to 70 within the next two years,” he indicated.
“It  provides a wide range of skills and larger number of students are opting for this across the regions,” Baksh disclosed.
He also revealed that a US$10M loan has been secured, from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), for the construction of the two new technical institutes in Regions Three and Five as well as the retooling of all the technical institutes countrywide.
“Billions of dollars are spent to impart skills for youths and adults and the Ministry of Education and the Government of Guyana are providing the opportunity for youths to be able to pursue life long skills,” Baksh stated.

Good use
He urged GITC students to make good use of the facilities and all the opportunities available, assuring them that more will be done to further promote technical and vocational skills.
Baksh said several opportunities are being provided for youths through various training courses offered by the Ministries of Culture, Youth and Sport and Labour and they, particularly through the Board of Industrial Training, give youths a second chance.
He announced that several new programmes will be introduced at the various technical institutes to give students the necessary skills to meet the demand of the emerging technological drive.
In addition, Baksh advocated for the delivery of a life skills programme at GITC, which will enable students to communicate effectively, be aware of work ethics and display honesty, among other key elements.
He emphasised that, in order for all of the initiatives and programmes to be effective, the lecturers must be committed to delivering quality education while the Technical and Vocational Education Training  Council (TVET) must maintain the expected standards, ensuring students are well qualified following training and are able to meet their employers’ expectations at work.
“The lecturers have to be committed to the task at hand, ”he maintained.
Congratulating the graduates, Baksh advised them to be proud of their achievements, apply their skills and give confidence to their employers whether in the public or private sectors.
“You now have skills for the development and transformation of our country, through an investment and, now, we are seeing returns for it,” he remarked.           
GITC Administrator, Mr. Dexter Cornette, lauded the efforts of the students and the lecturers and reported that the institution recorded a 64.5 per cent pass rate, this year.
He said the main objective of the centre is to empower young men and women to realise their true potential and be able to make their contribution to nation building.