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-by Kyler Rollins
The Occupational Safety and Health Centre of Excellence was commissioned in Region 6 on Friday at the New Amsterdam Technical Institute, the first of its kind facility in Guyana, and the Caribbean is expected to be transformed the occupational safety and health landscape while promoting safer and more resilient workplaces.
The Centre was established through a joint venture involving the Greater Guyana Initiative in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, and LearnCore International.
Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning Keoma Griffith emphasised the importance of establishing such a facility, particularly as Guyana continues to experience rapid economic development.
He said the country’s safety architecture must evolve to keep pace with this development and ensure workplace safety remains a priority. lawyers, supervisors and workers to identify hazards before they become accidents.
The Centre will offer the Caribbean Vocational Qualification CVQ Occupational Safety and Health Level 3 Diploma Programme. LearnCore International President and CEO Phil Doody says the training will allow participants to go beyond the theory of OSH by gaining practical knowledge and hands-on experience.
“People can learn, they can practice, they can demonstrate competency, they can make mistakes in a controlled learning environment and they can leave here better prepared to protect themselves and the people working alongside them. That is truly transformational,: he said.
The OSH Centre of Excellence will provide specialized training for technical and safety professionals with the first batch of students already enrolled.
The facility will also strengthen capacity to identify workplace hazards, prevent incidents and promote safer work and environments. Also attending the ceremony were Minister of Education Sonia Porag, ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Rutledge and other key stakeholders and representatives.
