ONE hundred and fifty-six persons graduated from the Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC) on Thursday. It was the 46th Graduation Exercise and Prize Giving Ceremony and it was staged at the Critchlow Labour College Auditorium, on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown. The graduates were awarded distinctions, credits, honorable mention and passes in fields such as auto mechanic, carpentry, electrical installation, masonry and information technology.
Speaking at the function, GITC Administrator, Mr. Dexter Cornette said, this year, there was a nine percent increase in the pass rate over the 73 percent last year, thus, 82 percent of the candidates passed in 2012.
He said this past year has seen the administration and staff working assiduously to make it a successful one.
Cornette pointed out that GITC, since its establishment in 1966 has continued to equip young men and women by helping them to maximise their potential and develop skills that will enhance their contribution to the private and public sectors.

Extremely grateful
He said the Administration is extremely grateful for the unwavering support from the Chairman and all the Board members, as well as the governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
According to him, over the past year, several staff members were trained in order to strengthen their area of expertise and, consequently, their standards of teaching.     
These members of staff attended classes at Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), Government Technical Institute (GTI) and University Of Guyana (UG).
He congratulated the graduating group, noting that their success is due to hard work and he urged them to do their best at all times to make all Guyana proud.
Meanwhile, in the feature address, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Mr. Clinton Urling remarked that educational institutions, such as the GITC, play an integral role in the development process in Guyana.
“Our Private Sector companies, which are considered by many to be the principal driver of growth depends on labour as a critical input into their operations and, as such, we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to institutions like the Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC),” he acknowledged.

Global realities
Urling said Guyana’s Private Sector has been evolving and many companies are engaged in new economic activities as a result of changing domestic and global realities, and are spurred on by technological innovations.
In this regard, he observed that companies’ demand for skills competencies have shifted as a result of this new dispensation, and educational institutions need to adapt their programmes and curricula to meet this changed labour demand.
“I, emphatically, call on the government and, specifically, the Ministry of Education to provide more resources to our vocational and tertiary institutions with the intention of developing new courses that meet today’s Private Sector reality,” Urling said.
Urling advised the young graduates, based on his personal experiences, to practise humility and discipline, be persistent, think big and act small, work hard, take risks, never stop learning no matter the circumstances and realize that their perspective is what is important.
“Give more than is expected; love more than seems wise; serve more than seems necessary and help more than is asked. You are the generation that can ensure that this country lives up to its creed of one people, one nation, one destiny,” was his admonition.