42 graduate from BNTF information technology course
FORTY-TWO students, from the Essequibo Coast, graduated from a four-week Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) Information Technology (IT) programme at the Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI) on Wednesday. In his address to them, at a very impressive graduation ceremony, BNTF Project Manager  Mr. Michael Singh offered congratulations, on behalf of Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, for successfully completing the course.
He said the minister, whose ministry has portfolio responsibility for the training, could not have attended the function because of other pressing Government duties.
According to the Project Manager, the project started on September 12 and concluded on October 14, 2011. Forty-five participants were shortlisted to attend but three persons dropped out.
He said those who participated were drawn from places ranging from the Pomeroon River to Onderneeming Red Village Housing Scheme and the several subjects taught included Basic Office Ethics, Introduction to Computers, XP, Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft Word 2007, Microsoft Power Point, Microsoft Publisher, Excel, Access Outlook and Computer Repairs.
The Project Manager also reported that the BNTF, which has conducted several other such training programmes across the country, provided the IT Centre at ETI with 20 computers, one HP Laser printer and two 2400 BTU air-conditioning units for the success of the exercise.
Singh challenged the graduates to continue learning because they have got the foundation already.
Vice-Chairman of Region 2 (Pomeroon/Supenaam), Mr. Vishnu Samaroo, said the course is one of Government’s projects to educate and train residents in IT.
He thanked the BNTF for delivering it in the region and reminded the graduates that Government has invested some $1.8 billion in the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) scheme to integrate every Guyanese into the IT programme.
ETI Principal, Mr. Michael Turnes, also congratulated the graduates and the BNTF for providing the training opportunity.
He said the students did excellently and one of the tutors, Mr. Carlson Wickham, said the programme lasted 44 training hours over 24 days and classes were conducted between 08:30 hrs and 11:30 hrs and 13:00 hrs and 16:00 hrs daily.
Turnes said training manuals were given to each participant to study while at home.
Best Graduating Student was Chris Chowkuai and the Most Improved Student was Gaitree Bharrat, but all the graduates were presented with certificates.