Better facilities for ‘tech’ students as GTI gets new $200M building

As Guyana’s economy transforms, there is a greater demand for workers with technical skills and the Government Technical Institute (GTI) is now better equipped to continue responding to this demand with a new $200 million state-of-the-art building.

The facility, named the Ken Subraj- Zara Technical Centre, was constructed through a public- private partnership between the government and the New York-based philanthropist Ken Subraj.

The facility costs $200 million. The Ministry of Education contributed $20 million while Mr. Subraj, a GTI alumnus, contributed a $180 million sum.

Mr. Subraj said he isn’t a man of many words and said but asked the Education Ministry and school administration to use the school well.

There are several multipurpose classrooms, a special oil and gas classroom and laboratory, a recreation hall and administrative offices. These facilities are meant to help hundreds of students get much-needed technical training.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali said modern facilities like this centre are necessary to help transform education locally. For him, many more Guyanese need to be trained in technical skills including those required for new and emerging fields like artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.

“We have to deal with AI and robotics in an aggressive way.

“… If we don’t incorporate that at this time, we will be playing catch up all the time,” the President said.

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said Mr. Subraj’s contribution is one that will help get many more Guyanese equipped and capable of contributing to the country’s development.

“That kind of investment in the people of your country or the children of your country could never really be valued.

“… It is immeasurable, the investment you made here,” Manickchand said.

Importantly, she said the Education Ministry is establishing six other new technical training facilities across the country.