“You are young, brilliant and enthusiastic,” Chief Educa-tion Officer Genevieve Whyte-Nedd said in her charge to a batch of 46 students who started a work study programme at GT&T last week. In a press release the company said the students were drawn from 21 learning institutions and will be attached to various divisions including at its Linden and Berbice branches, for six weeks. GT&T said the group comprises 11 students from the Government Technical Institute, two from the University of Guyana, six from secondary schools at Linden and New Amsterdam, 19 from 16 city schools and three from hinterland locations.
Included in this year’s batch is Cemci Sose, son of the Chief of the Wai Wai tribe.
At the orientation ceremony GT&T CEO Major General (ret’d) Joseph Singh and Whyte-Nedd outlined the company’s and ministry’s expectations. Singh told the students that they represent a generation who will in the future carry the torch of leadership and urged them to look at their period of attachment as a developmental tool. He said other than facilitating knowledge the stint will allow the students to work in a dynamic environment at GT&T. The release said the ceremony was chaired by DGM/PC Terry Holder. GT&T Senior Manager, Human Resources, Industrial Relations and Security P Ramnarain also addressed the ceremony.
More companies should be engaging the youth so they can look forward to something after they finish school.
Too many young people in Guyana are left hopeless, and as we know may be influenced by the illicit activities rampang in Guyana.
Hopefully, some good will be the outcome.
This is a step in the right direction. Other companies and government agencies should emulate the above, with the neccessary level of incentivisation, monetary, land etc; to retain educated and skilled young people , in halting the brain drain to the Caribbean, North America and other countries.