The Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes being offered in regions One and Seven are set to be improved with the signing of a $114 million contract between the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Caribbean Engineering and Management Consultants Inc. (CEMCO) on Monday.
According to a MoE press release, the contract falls under the Guyana Skills Development and Employability Project (GSDEP), which is financed by the Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Education with funding secured from the Caribbean Development Bank to the tune of US$12,252,000.
Under the Enhanced Learning Component, Design and Construction Supervision Services, the Bartica Secondary School Practical Instruction Department (Bartica, Region Seven) and North West Secondary School Practical Instruction Department (Mabaruma, Region One) are to be upgraded, the MoE added.
According to the GSDEP Project Coordinator Theron Siebs, the objective is to refurbish and retrofit the two departments with the aim of enhancing the quality of TVET in Guyana and to bridge the disparity between the coast and the hinterland.
Under the terms of the contract, CEMCO will execute the preparation of final designs, provide construction supervision services for the expansion and refurbishment of the facilities and prepare maintenance plans for the facilities.
Siebs explained that once the designs are completed, it is hoped that a contractor would be retained by September of this year to begin construction work on the facilities.
MoE Permanent Secretary Adele Clarke, who signed on behalf of the Ministry, said that among the benefits of the project, the improved Practical Instruction Departments (PIDs) will offer Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) level one and two training in seven areas. These areas are: commercial food preparation, masonry/plumbing, electrical installation, furniture making/carpentry and joinery, light motor vehicle repairs, home economic/housekeeping, and welding and fabrication.
Clarke said that she is looking forward to a cordial working relationship with the consultants, which will ensure that any hiccups are ironed out quickly so that the project can be completed within timelines.
Managing Director of CEMCO Raymond Latchmansingh said that the company is pleased to have finally signed the contract and looks forward to completing the job with a high professional standard while bringing it within the budgets the ministry has identified.
He noted that the two regions are not new to the company since they would have done prior work and added that timelines are going to be strict because of the stringent requirements for experience.
Latchmansingh stated that CEMCO is happy to be involved in the education sector and noted that he has seen the skills set which the project will target, gradually disappear. “We have a big problem in terms of the skills set that will be focussed on. We are headed in the right direction because we need to fill that gap. The focus of replacing those skills is important to the country’s development,” the managing director was quoted as saying.
