Vice President and Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock is optimistic that recent discussions held with senior functionaries of Machinery Corporation of Guyana (MACORP) will bear fruit and can create that enabling environment where youths across the hinterland can be empowered.

Minister Allicock accompanied by Deputy Permanent Secretary Samantha Fedee and Advisor on Youth Empowerment Martin Cheong were afforded the opportunity to gain firsthand experience on the numerous opportunities available in training in agriculture, logging and mining.

The team was also given a tour of the facility to better understand its operations.

MACORP currently offers free Training for its Technicians for the Caribbean Project which provides extensive training for young people, making them eligible for employment at the international level.

Following discussions Minister Allicock said the prospects are great not only for coast landers, but also for youths stretched across the Hinterland.

“I admire the program that you have developed its giving hope to our young people. It is what Guyana needs at this time and you are a step ahead of development in preparing our young people to be ready when real development comes. More so for us in the hinterland it is ideal and I am happy to see us as part of this group. This is a strategic investment” the Minister Allicock assured.

Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Sydney Allicock and team receives a tour of MACORP’s East Bank facility.

The Minister pointed out that the Bina Hill School for Learning which is located in Region 9 (North Rupununi), is in the perfect position to capitalize on opportunities offered by MACORP since Agriculture is among its focus areas and part of a nationally recognized green state development drive.

“At the center we are looking at renewable energy, agriculture development we are looking for better IT operation, cottage industries to be developed so we need equipment to do that and the more we can get our young people truly rounded with the discipline and allow them to grow with a sense of direction rather than having them like unguided missiles. They have vast potential so we need to get them involved and I like your approach”, the Minister said.

The Bina Hill Center is a unique institution which focuses on building the capacity of the youth across the Hinterland in the areas of Natural Resource Management, Forestry, Wildlife Management, Agriculture, Tourism, Business Studies, Life Skills (leadership training), Traditional Skills, Basic Computer Skills, Mathematics and English.

Before the end of 2019, the $200 million Bina Hill Green Enterprise Development Centre which is a laudable initiative will be established to provide further training to one hundred and twenty youth (120) from across the country annually in ‘green skills’, all in readiness for the expected development in that Region.

Meanwhile, MACORP’s Chief Executive Officer Guillermo Escarraga said while the programs main objective is to “better oneself”, technicians who successfully completed the training, are now assets to the company.

“People who have gone through this training are the backbone of this company, without them we would not be successful, these people are very important in our dynamics and it is because we have seen this, we have seen what they are capable of doing and we are so excited about this because you gave them the opportunity, you teach them, and they perform and do wonders” he said.

The CEO also explained that “when you see that happening, it makes you want to work harder to give more people the opportunity because you see they can excel and that is why we want to reach out and work with you (MoIPA) and the Government so we can expand this program and train as many people as we can, this has no limitations, we can have thousands of students enroll in this program”.

The Technicians for the Caribbean curriculum consists of eighteen courses: four introduction courses, ten level one courses and four level two courses and the Company’s Training Director Miguel Oviedo Sierra explained that “they would be here for one year, six months they will be in class and six months they will go through with their practice”.

Sierra also explained that individuals must complete the mandatory six hundred hours of training to successfully complete the program which caters for three main categories of persons and is opened to the public.

Category one caters for persons with some amount of experience and who do not possess qualifications from a recognized institution, category two caters for persons who successfully complete a formal secondary level of learning including a vocational institution.

The third category caters for persons who want to learn, or a person desirous of becoming a technician with no limitations.

The CEO affirms that on the business front, the company continues to see remarkable success since it thrives on “getting it right the first time, every time”.