Ten students will be selected over the course of the next two weeks to join internship programmes with local companies to develop their Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills.
Some of the students who participated in the discussions
Public Telecommunications Minister, Cathy Hughes on Monday commenced the initiative by visiting the first of five junior secondary schools, Carmel Secondary School.
During her interaction with students, Minister Hughes explained that there are many potentials and job opportunities which will emerge in the future from ICT.
She stated that many youths have been brought up in a technologically advanced world, where it is easier to access information. Persons have also leapt one step further by developing apps and websites for local businesses to promote their products and reach a wider spectrum.
“Young people of today are naturally inclined to technology…Because you find using technology so easy, I want you to think about going into a career and making a living from the same technology… If you students have access to the internet, you have an opportunity to make sure that you can be the best and do anything that you want to do,” Hughes said to the students.
Stakeholders from the Education Ministry are also engaged in this partnership, but most importantly, the local ICT companies. Some of them were present during the discussion and attested that knowledge about technology can extend beyond the formal education setting.
One student from each of the five schools will be selected to participate in a paid internship at five Guyanese companies. They will also be joined by five participants from the Ministry’s 2018 “Guyanese Girls Code” training programme. The 10 IT interns will be expected to grab the opportunity to learn from professionals in the field.
According to Hughes, all students will be given access to Information Technology (IT) labs in schools, since the advantages extend to all areas of their education. So far, 174 ICT hubs were established across the country in remote and urban regions.
“By 2025, 75 per cent of the jobs in the world are going to require some skills in using the computer, the tablet, knowing the internet [and] how to navigate it. What we’re trying to do is open your minds to all the possibilities,” the Minister related.
As part of the ICT Access and e-Services for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities project, 20 out of 200 listed communities are soon to benefit.
Funded by the United Nations Development Programme, some US$608,000 has been expended so far for assessments which will see the completion of hubs across 20 communities.
This is deemed as a pilot project which will determine how the other 180 projects are executed. According to officials, these internet hotspots should be ready for commissioning by June 2019.
Through satellites, a four megabytes per second bandwidth will be used to in areas such Apoteri, Monkey Mountain, Kako, Shulinab, Kaikan, Surama, Jawalla, Phillipai, Paruima, Isseneru, Kangaruma, Tasserene, Kurukubaru, Toka, Maruranau, Karaudanau, Kimbia, Wiruni, Aranaputa and Rewa.
