Technical, vocational students to receive monthly stipend

Students attending the technical and vocational training centres at Mahaicony, Leonora and Upper Corentyne will begin receiving a monthly stipend, Government announced on Friday.
Cabinet, at its most recent meeting, agreed to a proposal for the Education Ministry to pay stipends to students at technical and vocational training centres at Mahaicony, Leonora and the Upper Corentyne. The centres were said to have been established to provide “second opportunities” for youth to develop skills that would enable them to obtain gainful employment.
According to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, it was observed over the past three years that only approximately 46 per cent of the students enrolled managed to graduate.
“The major reason for this was cited as the high cost of transportation. It was also noted that the completion rate for courses given in collaboration with other institutions, such as the board of industrial training where stipends were given, was much higher.”
The stipends approved with effect from September 1, 2016, will be paid to students of the centres as follows – Mahaicony 00, Upper Corentyne 00 and Leonora 00 per month.
Meanwhile, Cabinet has also approved the appointment of members of the National Accreditation Council (NAC) for a period of two years. The members appointed are Vincent Alexander as Chairman; Winifred James Kippins, Member (Association of Caribbean, tertiary institutions (acting); Archibald Clifton, Member (Council of Technical Vocational Education and Training – (CTVET); Sophia Hunte, Member (Teaching Service Commission (TSC), Clem Duncan, Member (Private Sector Commission (PSC); Dr Dawn Fox, Member (Minister’s Representative); Andrew Grant, Member (Department of the Public Service (MOP); Camille Robertson, Member (University of Guyana); Jennifer Cummerbatch, Member (Education Ministry); and Samantha Alleyne, Member (Guyana Teachers’ Union).
The Council has as its mission statement; “to develop a coherent and integrated quality assured tertiary education sector” is the external quality assurance agency for higher education in Guyana and is legally mandated to register all post-secondary and tertiary institutions operating in Guyana.
The Council also ensures that institutions and programmes accredited and permitted to operate meet or exceed stated educational quality criteria that include appropriately designed course programme structures, adequate resources and learning outcomes, and assessment strategies that are at an appropriate level for qualifications awarded.