— GNBS executive director

TECHNICAL and vocational students must learn the benefits of standards and conformity assessment which is required for a sustainable and consistent construction sector in Guyana, Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) Executive Director Candelle Walcott-Bostwick said.

Walcott-Bostwick made these remarks to students in the building and construction sector at the Pegasus Hotel on Thursday.
The event, themed “Sustainable Construction “ was organised by GNBS and ASTM International, which hosted its Inaugural Roadshow in the Caribbean (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana) during the period June 04-08, 2018.

The Guyana leg of the roadshow which opened yesterday and concludes today, June 8, features four activities which seeks to educate and inform stakeholders who are users and potential users of ASTM standards, including stakeholders in the building and construction sector.

Representatives from the University of Guyana were among eight technical and vocational institutes that attended the event, themed “Sustainable Construction”.
The GNBS head told the students that there is a system in place for the harmonisation of standardisation in the Caribbean.

She said in order to have a transition of culture in Guyana, where price takes precedence over quality, “we would like to move Guyana over to a standards driven society.”
“We strongly believe that once our students are exposed to the value and benefits of standards, it will help them in their decision-making process, to choose standards and quality over the price of commodities,” the executive director said.

Noting that standards body’s worldwide work to provide confidence to consumers, Walcott-Bostwick thanked ASTM and other international agencies for recognising Guyana’s potential and for hosting the roadshow.
She explained that ASTM International has signified their commitment to partner with developing countries to reduce technical barriers to trade, thus facilitating access to international markets.

Noting that ASTM provides over 12000 international standards, the executive director said, these include building and construction materials, oil and gas, solar and wind power, renewable energy, energy efficiency, medical devices and electronics, among others.
She said these standards are widely used in Guyana’s manufacturing and technical sectors.
ASTM International representative Jim Olshefsky noted, that businesses and governments in the region are already using the ASTM standards in many industries in the Caribbean region in laws, regulations and codes.

“ASTM also has 1,700 members in the region, technical experts who participate in our technical committees, particularly in areas like cement, concrete, steel and other industries that relate to sustainable construction,” he added.

Recognising that the future generations have different needs and expectations than the previous one, Olshefsky said that gatherings with students are essential to get an understanding of their needs and choices that will affect their future.
He noted that retirement is having a big impact on society and one estimate puts it globally at 10,000 people per day.

As such, he said, hands on expertise or mentors are needed to guide young entrepreneurs and engineers into adopting standardisation and the ASTM in their curriculum.
He said the roadshow comes at a time when the region has suffered significant loses and unprecedented damages from three major hurricanes, which together carry a price tag of US$13 billion.