Guyana opens new center for workplace safety training
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In Guyana, the New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI) opened the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Centre of Excellence on Friday. The center will house the CVQ Level 3 Occupational Safety and Health Programme, offering practical training and competency development to create more qualified professionals in the field.
The new center aims to both train people entering the occupational safety and health workforce and to upgrade the skills of those already employed in the sector.
Organizers intend for the center to serve as a regional hub, extending its training beyond Berbice and throughout the Caribbean. The Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), a partnership with the Ministry of Education, the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), and LearnCorp International, funded the establishment of the center.
ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge emphasized the importance of worker safety as a moral obligation, stating that the center will equip trainees with the tools needed to improve safety directly in workplaces. Education Minister Sonia Parag highlighted the center’s contribution to the government’s focus on improving education and providing more flexible technical and vocational training opportunities for Guyanese citizens.
Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning Keoma Griffith stressed that workplace safety is a shared responsibility between workers, employers, and all involved parties. He explained that the center’s development is a crucial step in building Guyana’s capacity to respond to the needs of its growing economy and workforce, allowing the country to move beyond simply discussing workplace safety to actively building the skills to ensure it.
