Trotman touts establishment of mining school in Linden

…as Mineral Prospecting and Map Reading Course launches at LTI

The Natural Resources Ministry has collaborated with the Guyana Mining School and Training Centre Inc; Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and National Technical Training Institutions to launch Level One of the Mineral Prospecting and Map Reading Course at the Linden Technical Institute (LTI).
The educational training programme, which was launched at the Institute in Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice) on Thursday, will see 75 students benefiting. Topics

will include occupational safety and health, mining and environmental regulations, applying for exploration and mining permits, mineralisation and topographic map interpretations, use of navigation instruments and mineral prospecting.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman said he was elated with the collaborative effort in launching the first module of the programme.
Noting that it was time for action, the Minister said this was the first of several collaborative efforts between the three agencies as he made calls for a branch of the Mining School to be established in the community.
In his encouragement to students, the Minister said it was important that they recognise that opportunities, though not always available, were being provided and that they should always be ready whenever opportunity “knocks”.
“The secret to success … is being able to ready whenever that opportunity knocks … It is important that you apply yourselves and so I’m encouraging you to apply yourselves over the next many weeks that this course offers you…We may not be able to promise each one of you a job in a Government office, or the Government sector, but certainly we are giving you the skills to make you marketable …,” he said.
In echoing the sentiments of Linden Deputy Mayor Wainewright Bethune who spoke before him, Minister Trotman said it was intended for the Mining School to be established in the mining town, not only to serve the people of Linden or Upper Berbice River but Regions Seven, Eight and Nine.
“So, with whatever little powers the President has put in me, I am mandating the Chairman of the Mining School and the Director of the Mining School to ensure that there’s a branch of the Mining School established in Linden before the end of 2019. That is your mandate, and that is not to replace the Technical Institute, but to come alongside it, to offer courses that will strengthen it …The facilities are there; the resources are certainly available. I know that resources are scarce, but with education, we must find resources,” he said.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mining School and Member of Parliament (MP), Audwin Rutherford, in his address, noted that all activities of the Mining School were executed in keeping with the theme “Explore, develop, sustain”. He said the rolling-out of such programmes was part of the mission to develop, explore, and sustain the activities of the local mining sector.