Fifty-six teenagers from various communities including the Indigenous villages in Region Two recently participated in the Office of the Prime Minister’s Industry and Innovation Unit ICT summer camp.
It was held under the theme “Creating a brighter future through ICT” and took place from August 8 to 13 at the Cotton Field Secondary School in Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.
Participants were taught basic information technology (IT) skills, web development, cyber security, robotics, Python and STEM.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who delivered the feature address at the closing ceremony, said that his office is currently investing heavily in the IT field. He disclosed that Region Two was the first to host the ICT summer camp and similar camps will be done in regions Four and Six in the coming months.
The gathering was also informed that there will be more training and camps in 2023. Phillips noted that his office is currently bridging the digital gap through the trainings and by making free Wi-Fi available in various communities. He also reminded that Guyana is rapidly developing and that ICT plays an integral role and stated his desire that participants take the training received to another level by furthering their studies.
The Prime Minister also pointed out that many government services are now available online and with the availability of internet service, it is easier for people to access information. He therefore urged participants to ensure that they continue to study in the field.
Regional Chairperson Vilma De Silva said that she was happy that youths from her region were exposed to the training. She remarked that the region is transforming and youths are part of the transformation process. She expressed the hope that when the youths gain IT knowledge, they would be able to help in the process.
Director of Industry and Innovation Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister, Shahrukh Hussain, congratulated all the participants and informed that to date, over 1,000 persons have been trained in the ICT field. He added that continuous training will be rolled out to ensure that persons have the necessary knowledge in Information Technology.
The participants themselves were very excited and said that they learned a lot from the camps. One such person, 12-year-old Aaron Sasenarayan, said that he has learned a lot of things that he never knew.
