The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and Machinery Corporation of Guyana (MACORP), inked a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday which will afford 10 training scholarships to both male and female football players in a bid to improve their career opportunities at the end of their playing career.
According to a release from the GFF, MACORP will provide scholarships in the field of excavator operator training, with the federation identifying the possible candidates for the grants in accordance with the company’s stipulated criteria.
“Under the agreement, MACORP – the sole distributor of Caterpillar products in Guyana – will provide 10 excavator operator training scholarships for footballers. The participants will receive thorough safety instruction before advancing to simulator drills, examinations and practical training in the use of excavators. The GFF will identify suitable candidates above the age of 18 from its pool of players in accordance with criteria stipulated by MACORP.”
GFF boss Wayne Forde said, “This unique initiative will impact significantly on the lives of footballers as they transition to the world of work. This transition is not always easy for many of our players so we are delighted to be able to partner with MACORP to offer 10 lucky individuals this opportunity for valuable skills training.
“On behalf of the Guyana Football Federation, I would like to extend our gratitude to our MACORP partners for having the vision and commitment to support our young players in this way. We look forward to selecting the players and starting the programme as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, MACORP Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Guillermo Escarraga said, “When this project was presented to us, we found it very suitable for us to support because there was a specific goal and a plan. It is very important for the country as a whole. Being an education and training provider, we knew this was the right move for us because it benefits a lot of people in the country.”
“We have a lot of hope that other companies will see this as a way to bring some of those players that were trained into their operations, because that is what will make a big impact – that after the training, the players find jobs that would help them continue their development,” he further noted.
