AN EXPERIENCED TRAINING INSTITUTE
The Georgetown Technical Institute (GTI) formally the Georgetown Multi-Purpose Centre became operational in the early 1980s. It is located in Chili Village, Georgetown which is a large rural town situated in the northeast of mainland St. Vincent directly in the danger (red) zone of the La Soufriere volcano.
GTI is one of the Component 2 training providers in the SkYE programme. They were impacted by the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano on April 9, 2021. The eruptions, which lasted for approximately two weeks severely impacted the communities in the red zone, particularly those north of the Rabacca Dry River. Several houses were either destroyed or severely damaged. The situation was further exacerbated by the torrential rains of hurricane Elsa in early July which caused lahar flows.
USING NEWLY ACQUIRED SKILLS
In the aftermath of the volcanic eruptions, the SkYE Electrical Installation trainees from the GTI, embarked on a project to help residents beyond the Rabacca Dry River to regain their electricity. The initiative, code named: ‘Reach out and touch’, involved trainees volunteering their time and skills in electrical installation to affected homes in the various communities.
Trainees at GTI
The project was conceptualized by Mr. Manson Cuffy, the Electrical Installation instructor, and supported by the Principal, Mr. Kendal Sam. “I was moved by the extent of the devastation to homes during the clean up exercise in addition to the impact of the pandemic and damage done by hurricane Elsa. Because of this, I just thought that I should offer my skills and expertise to households in these communities,” stated Mr. Cuffy.
The project commenced on August 13, 2021, and was conducted four days per week, over a period of two months. “This initiative was very beneficial to the trainees who were able to get hands-on experience outside of the simulated workshop environment. We rewired and made adjustments to quite a number of homes, some of which had electrical problems prior to the eruptions, based on recommendations and specifications from electrical inspectors,” remarked Mr. Cuffy. He estimated that the initiative contributed over $20,000 worth of labour cost, if a value is to be place on the work done.
The trainees were astonished by the extent of the devastation and were eager to lend a helping hand. They appreciated the experience of putting into practice what they were taught, and the opportunity afforded by the SkYE programme for them to learn a skill.
MAINTAINING THE VISION
Mr. Kendal Sam, Principal of GTI, who also actively participated in the project is of the view that the initiative was consistent with the vision and several of the core values of the institution. “Our vision is to equip trainees of GTI with marketable skills to become productive citizens, the project allowed them to display those skills. We also emphasize core values such as sympathy, respect, adaptability and quality of service which were all borne out in the project,” he stated.
He also expressed his gratitude to the SkYE Programme and UKaid for the assistance being rendered to the institution.
FACTS
Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) is a four-year, UKaid funded programme to provide certified skills training for 6,000 disadvantaged young people, including those challenged by disability, in four Eastern Caribbean countries: Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent & the Grenadines. The Programme will develop a more productive and inclusive workforce in sectors with good economic growth potential.
SkYE is supporting national training authorities and training providers to make systemic improvements to the development, delivery and quality assurance of technical, vocational education and training (TVET) in the four focus islands through targeted capacity building.
