Technical, Vocational Education & Training to be done online

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across Guyana will now be fully equipped to facilitate online learning.

The launch of the TVET Online Training was held on Tuesday at the Government Technical Institute on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.

Coordinator of the Skills Development and Employability Project (GSDEP), Theron Seibs explained that the initiative was birthed by the COVID-19 pandemic last year when schools were closed.

He said that the Caribbean Development Bank, which is funding the GSDEP, was approached to repurpose a part of the loan to purchase the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment for the institutions. After approval was given by the CDB, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) was approached to fast track the purchase of the items, at a cost of over $65 million.

The equipment includes 138 laptops, 12 tablets, 40 camcorders, 128 projectors and 20 cloud storage devices. These items will be distributed among identified Secondary Schools that are piloting the Caribbean Vocational Qualification and the 10 TVET institutions across Guyana which are:

1. The Government Technical Institute (GTI)
2. Linden Technical Institute (LTI)
3. New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI)
4. Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC)
5. Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI)
6. Upper-Corentyne Industrial Training Centre (UCITC)
7. Mahaicony TVET Centre
8. Leonora TVET Centre
9. Carnegie School of Home Economics (CSHE)
10. Craft Production and Design Department (CP&DD)

The Chief Education Officer, Dr. Marcel Hutson said that the launch and handing-over ceremony was a significant occasion as it relates to TVET. He said that the initiative to take TVET online is a testimony to how the sector can be improved.

“We are keen on reforming TVET and you will see it manifested in our strategic plan, you will see that manifested in our budgetary allocation in terms of how we intend to reform TVET in our country”, the CEO noted.

He said that persons must adapt quickly so that Guyana does not find itself in a position where TVET education is stagnated. He said that the equipment that will be given to these institutions are integral to the transformational process.

Deputy Chief Education Officer (Technical), Mr. Patrick Chinedu Onwuzirike said that ICT and TVET are enablers to lifelong learning. He said that the TVET sector believes that every Guyanese can learn a skill and as such there is the intention to deliver TVET education across Guyana.

According to Mr. Onwuzirike, with TVET education now being offered online, persons from the hinterland communities can enroll in those institutions on the coast without leaving their communities except when it is necessary for practical exercises.

Divisional Chief of the Caribbean Development Bank, Ms. Deidre Clarendon said that COVID-19 over the past year has transformed in significant ways how persons live, work and interact with each other.

She said that the TVET skills training sector has not escaped the impacts of COVID-19 and in fact, has been uniquely affected. (Modified press release from Ministry of Education)