–particularly organisation’s role in professionalising local workforce

THE Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme has played a vital role in the development of Guyana’s technical workforce, Education Minister, Dr Nicolette Henry said.

The minister made the remarks at ITEC Day, an event to commemorate bilateral relations between India and Guyana under the flagship programme, ITEC of the Government of India.

Speaking at the event on Friday evening at the residence of Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. K.J Srinivasa, Karona Avenue, Happy Acres, East Coast Demerara, Dr Henry told the gathering, which included Public Service Minister, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley; Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams; Public Telecommunications Minister, Catherine Hughes; members of the diplomatic community and special invitees, that the ITECH programme epitomises the saying “you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed”.

She said the ITEC programme is a significant component of bilateral relations with India, and the areas of focus and training are mutually agreed upon.

“As minister of education, I have vested interest in the human and social development agenda, and as you know, education is the key to national development,” Minister Henry said.

Some of the programmes offered by India range from information technology, rural development, parliamentary practices, entrepreneurship and marine aeronautical engineering.

“The wide appreciation of these courses indicates the efficacy of the courses for capacity building, empowerment and upgrading of skills. The pathway that Guyana now embarks upon demands empowerment and capacity building in all of these areas,” the education minister said.

Next year, the government plans to launch an initiative called Decade of Development and all skillsets would be required, said Dr Henry.

Minister Sarabo-Halley said India and Guyana have shared an amicable relationship even before establishing diplomatic ties in May 1966. This relationship has grown stronger over the years.

As public service minister, she said numerous training activities have been made possible for public servants through India in various fields.

The government, Sarabo-Halley said, is focusing on bringing the public service up to the standards of the modern world.

“As you know, we are committed to the education of our nation and the ITEC programme and other programmes that the Republic of India has made available to Guyana has helped in this process. These scholarships will empower our public servants with professional skills and also prepare our public servants for an increasingly globalised world,” Minister Sarabo-Halley said.

‘VERY THANKFUL’

Minister Hastings-Williams said Guyana and her citizens are very thankful for the cultural and economic ties built through the years with India.

Cooperation among countries, she said, can help solve problems through sharing of knowledge and best practices.

The minister of state noted that Guyana has benefitted from expert services under the ITEC programme, as the Government of India continues to offer scholarship and training to Guyanese.

More public servants and, if necessary, private sector employees, she said, will benefit from such trainings to serve Guyana.

According to Minister Hastings-Williams, President David Granger aims to prepare youths for jobs of the future that will help them to enjoy the good life.

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. KJ Srinivasa said ITEC is celebrating its 55th anniversary with 116 partners in various countries.

“We are sharing India’s unique growth experience of building the expertise and training with over 200,000 government officials and professionals from 116- partner countries. So far, we have a wide variety of course from renewable energy, to IT, to irrigation, to agriculture, to audit etc and at the same time we work towards the key aspects of development cooperation. This has always played a central role in India’s foreign policy,” the high commissioner said.

He said that principals of cooperation are based on equality, mutual respect for sovereignty and freedom of action and choice, not on competition or conditionality.

Adding that mutual learning for a shared and sustainable growth is the end goal, Dr. Srinivasa said India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently in a meeting with the CARICOM leadership on September, 25, 2019, in New York, announced special capacity building courses, training and line of credit for all CARICOM countries.

The ambassador said many of the projects which are being actively coordinated with other countries in CARICOM on solar, renewable energy and climate related projects.

The diplomat said access to affordable and quality health care, professional skills and higher education are vital factors in helping people to maximise their growth potential.

“India is very acutely aware of their role in determinants of human development. The Government of India has recently launched on its 55th ITEC Day celebrations, new capacity building initiatives, that is e-ITEC and ITEC executive which will meet the popular demand for innovative courses to cater to a wider cross-section of users and professionals,” the high commissioner said.

FILLING KEY GAPS

He said within the last five years, ITEC has been upgraded with an aim to provide support to partner countries in filling key gaps in human resource development in the delivery of affordable and quality health services.

“We have about nine slots every year under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship that assists any graduate student to go to India and study a graduate or post graduate of his choice. I am very happy to say that Guyana has been fully utilising these slots under the ICCR scheme which is separate from the ITEC scheme. Now I am actively working to increase the same to maybe around 15 or 20 lots a year,” Dr. Srinivasa said.

Further, he noted that India is a leader in climate change action and the country’s initiative in the solar alliance is a testimony that India is committed to a clean and sustainable future for the future generation.

“We have the world’s fastest energy growing programme and a target of 135 gigahertzes of renewable energy that India has set itself as part of an aggressive solar alliance initiative which seems to be working at a rapid pace,” he said.