From left: NATI Principal, Region 6 Chairman, ACEO Technical Mr. Patrick Chinedu, N/A Hospital CEO and Mr. Doerga
By Leon Suseran
The New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI) graduates of 2012 were told on Friday how valuable their technical skills are to the development of Guyana and that those skills are the foundation on which the development of Guyana rests.
The message came from Mr. Vishnu Doerga, Mechanical Engineer, Immediate Past President of the Upper Corentyne Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UCCCI, Secretary of UCCCI, Member of the Technical Vocational Education and Training Council (TVET) and Upper Corentyne businessman.
“Your skills, the skills of those who have graduated before you and the many who will graduate after you, are the foundation on which the development of Guyana rests. Yes, we can have all the raw materials, all the raw resources under the sun, we have fertile soils, we have the manufacturing, mining, information technology, construction and many more opportunity sectors.
“But these sectors all require one key input and that one key input is your skills; without your skills, buildings would not be built, gold would not be mined, computers would not run themselves and the world could not fix itself. You now have the skills that make all this possible”, Doerga added.
He praised NATI for taking care of the technical skills needed for Guyana’s labour force even as the world faces globalization. “Guyana must seize the opportunities presented through the advent of globalization, by the transformation of the labour force into a highly trained knowledge–based workforce. As more and more countries deplete their natural resources or seek to expand their reach, doing business in Guyana continues to become a more lucrative option. Our collective role in this process is to ensure that you are not only prepared for the jobs of today but also for the many jobs that may be coming to Guyana in the future”.
Region Six Chairman, David Armogan mentioned the dearth of applicants these days to the Technical/vocation areas and stated the possible reason of more persons gaining access to the high school education system.
“More people are going on to ensure they continue high school and then they choose whether to do skills training”. Guyana today has many opportunities for tradesmen. “If you want a carpenter, plumber or mechanic, it is hell to get them or if you get them, their price is so high that sometimes you cannot do your work, so if we can put out a higher number of graduates out there, then they will be able to satisfy the major industries as well as private needs”.
Course extensions are also being considered such as courses in Land Surveying, “because that is an area in which there is a very great need in Guyana and especially in Berbice where everybody is applying for land”.
NATI was established from a joint project between the Guyana and Canadian Government through the Ministry of Education in 1971. The facility targets youths 15 years and over and the catchment area includes Region 6, part of Region 5 up to Mahaicony and a portion of Region 10.
One hundred and seventy- two young professionals graduated in various fields with added technical competence and skills for the labour force in Guyana. Some of the fields were bricklaying and concrete, carpentry and joinery, plumbing, house-wiring and appliance repair, Commerce, Computer Science, Secretarial Science, Motor vehicle electrical system, radio and television electronics, small engine repairs, welding, agricultural mechanics, electrical installation, internal combustion engines, mechanical fitting and metal machining and telecommunication as well as architectural drawing.
Nirupa Manroop was the Best Graduating Student, thus being the valedictorian. She graduated with Distinction with an Ordinary Diploma in Commerce. At the 40th Convocation , Mr. Vishwa Persaud delivered the Principal’s report while CEO of the N/A Hospital, Mr. Allan Johnson delivered the charge to the graduates. Also in attendance was Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO) Technical and former NATI Principal, Mr. Patrick Chinned Onwuzirike.