Georgetown, Guyana — (August 6, 2018) First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, today, declared open the Information Communication Technology (ICT) Training Programme to over 30 participants in Lethem, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine). The three week training programme, conducted by the Office of the First Lady in collaboration with the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) and the Ministry of Social Protection, will take place in the dormitory of the St. Ignatius Secondary School, St. Ignatius Village.
Mrs. Granger, in her remarks, urged the participants to pursue education relentlessly in order to adapt to technological advances. “You are living in an age of lifelong education. Nothing stays the same… You [must] understand that technology is always changing and this is impacting your lives, even in ways that you don’t recognise at this point in time. Technology is playing a huge role in how we live our lives today… Every single day things are changing and this is going to impact our lives in many ways… All these things are happening and you need to be aware of it. You need to be on the cutting edge of this technology,” she said.
The First Lady also encouraged the participants to take the workshop seriously as the certificate awarded upon completion bears weight in the professional world. “Some of the graduates have already been employed by the National Data Management Authority to do data entry… People have gotten employment… This certificate is a serious certificate which is signed and recognised by the Board of Industrial Training… and this is recognised, not only in Guyana, but regionally… This is a serious certificate and I would like you to address it with the seriousness that we have put into it,” she said.
Vice Chairman of BIT, Mr. Donald Ainsworth said that the programme will prepare the participants to be the find solutions to problems, which may plague their region. “Use the knowledge you will gain here… to access information [that] can help you [improve your] quality of life… This is about preparing you to be productive citizens. We’re preparing you to help to solve the day-to-day problems that would exist as we enhance the community… [Information Technology] is the way to go and your future will be great once you pay attention and learn… I expect to see all of you here graduating so that we would be able to say to the folks in Lethem and Region Nine [that] we have a group of young people who are here, ready and able to help in solving the problems that will come up from time to time,” he said.
Regional Chairman, Mr. Brian Allicock encouraged the participants to build a solid support system among themselves and to absorb as much as they can during the training. “You’re here as a group now. You have to support each other. You came here to learn… Listen to every tutor. Listen to everything… concentrate on what you came here for… You [will] be taking over from us… You work together, develop together so that you can continue to develop your villages, continue to develop the region and our beautiful Guyana,” he said.
Mayor of Lethem, Mr. Kerry Jarvis told the participants that quitting is not an option while learning this new skill.
“Quitters never win and winners never quit. Stay focused on the task at hand… If you do not put 100 percent into it, you cannot get 100 percent out of it… I encourage the participants to use this new found knowledge, after completion, to do good for yourselves and to thrive if you are seeking employment or planning to create something for yourselves, like a business,” he said.
In addition to the ICT skills, the participants will learn communication and time management skills, and cover subjects in robotics, literacy, numeracy, micro enterprising, and sexual and reproductive health.
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