-wants to partner with MoE, GTI to strengthen skills programmes

ESTABLISHED in 2000, the Mercy Wings Vocational Centre located in Sophia, has over the years provided a pathway for many young men and women to start their lives as entrepreneurs and become meaningful contributors to society.

Overseen by the Sisters of Mercy religious order, the centre has been in operation for 22 years and is still managing to remain steadfast and strong despite several challenges, according to its project coordinator, Paula Bess.

Bess, during a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, explained that the centre was established by one Judy Matthews, who once oversaw the Mercy Hospital’s mobile clinic in Sophia.

“The Mercy Hospital had a mobile clinic in the area and so they provided medical service to the residents in the community and so they were asking for an addition to what they were providing,” she said.

Recognising a need for more than just healthcare in the area, the Sisters of Mercy engaged stakeholders to further expand the clinic into a vocational centre to provide for the needs of youths in the community.

“With the University of Guyana, we got persons and they did a needs assessment and out of that emerged Mercy Wings Vocational Centre. At first, it was the very first students that came that built the first wooden building,” Bess disclosed.

The first programme to be introduced at the centre was general construction. It was that first batch of students who expanded and constructed the wooden building in the compound.

Other vocational training programmes such as childcare management and care for the elderly, catering and home management, cosmetology, electricity information, data management as well as English and Mathematics courses, were later introduced at the centre.

Soon after a daycare facility was set up to cater for young mothers who wished to enrol at the centre.

“We have the daycare department, this started since 2000 when the programme started. The daycare has been going well since then. We take care of children from around the community. We also take in children whose parents are students,” she said, adding: “So young mothers who want to do the programme can enrol their babies or young children to the daycare department while they attend classes.”

The daycare caters for children from six months old to pre-school.

ADAPTING
Like many other institutions, Mercy Wings had to quickly adjust and prepare its environment for COVID-19.

Bess lamented that this was no easy task, since many of the courses done at the centre were better taught in a face-to-face classroom setting. Because of the pandemic, the centre was forced to significantly reduce its intake numbers.

“Due to COVID, our intake has dropped significantly. In addition, many persons prefer to go to a government institution where they can get a stipend, but we don’t have that luxury here, we don’t get any subvention or anything from the government. This programme is strictly sponsored by people overseas and the Sisters of Mercy,” Bess told this publication.

Despite the challenges associated with limited resources, some classes have since resumed.

“After the pandemic started, we eased having physical classes and most of the classes were done through zoom which was online and that was a whole new thing. Our teachers had to learn to use that platform and our students as well,” she said.

The institution has since developed a blended learning programme which sees most of the classes remaining online, while courses such as electrical installation are being done in-person with all COVID-19 protocols in place.

MORE SUPPORT NEEDED
Meanwhile, Bess noted that the pandemic has highlighted the need for more collaborative efforts to sustain the centre.

As such, the centre plans to engage the government, primarily the Ministry of Education in 2022, to garner the support it needs to develop a more robust curriculum for those who attend the centre.

“In terms of the future we are hoping that we get trainees and that we get funding. Without funding there is a really big question over our heads in terms of sustainability,” she said, adding: “We will also be trying to collaborate with the Education Ministry and Guyana Technical Institute to see how they can collaborate and support us in being better able to help the young people that [sic] are enrolled in our programme.”