THE Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the National Sports Commission have successfully launched the second edition of their Lifeguard Certification Programme.
The initiative commenced yesterday at the National Racquet Centre in Georgetown, where more than 40 participants, drawn from various swim clubs across Guyana, took part in the classroom segment of the week-long training. The Canadian Lifesaving Society has been contracted to conduct the programme.
The sessions are being conducted by Sarah Newton and Tamara Wood of the Canadian Lifesaving Society.
“This is a promise kept,” declared Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, referencing a commitment made by Minister Charles Ramson Jr. last year to not only continue the programme but also expand participation.
“We want to make sure that our waterways are safer in Guyana, and that is what we want. We want to make sure that our human capital is safe,” Ninvalle added, as he commended NSC Swim Coach Paul Mahaica for spearheading the Lifeguard Certification Programme.
Ninvalle emphasised that with Guyana’s ongoing development, particularly in the hospitality sector, the certification provides an opportunity for employment, especially within the growing hotel industry.
“If this was anywhere else in the Caribbean, you would’ve had to be paying to have a Lifeguard Certification. But the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has removed that (paying registration), just like we removed registration for the ‘Teach Them Young’ programme,” he noted.
He continued, “So, this is part of being caring, this is us investing in our human capital and wanting to see betterment, and we hope that you make sure that you become sponges.”
Ninvalle also stated, “I am not the Minister, but I know how he thinks, and he will want to make this a continuous programme.”
Meanwhile, NSC Swim Coach Paul Mahaica highlighted the importance of having a structured and sustainable lifeguard programme.
He also underscored the need for coaches, especially those involved in swimming, to possess standard first aid certification.
“We have over 40 people from the different clubs who are being trained currently in first aid and emergency first aid in swimming, and those persons are going to be added to those who were trained last year,” Mahaica explained.
The veteran coach also announced the relaunch of the National Lifeguard Association; an initiative aligned with the Ministry’s broader mission to enhance water safety across Guyana.