EDUCATION Minister Sonia Parag on Friday commissioned the new Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Centre of Excellence in Region Six, marking another step in the Government’s efforts to expand technical and vocational training and strengthen workplace safety standards.
Minister Parag attended the commissioning ceremony on September 11 at the facility, which is located within the compound of the New Amsterdam Technical Institute.
The state-of-the-art centre was established through a partnership between the Greater Guyana Initiative, the Ministry of Education, the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) and LearnCorp International.
The facility will serve as the official host of the Level Three Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) in Occupational Safety and Health Programme and is expected to function as a national and regional training hub for the advancement of occupational safety and health standards.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Parag said the establishment of the centre is aligned with the Government’s 2025 manifesto commitment to strengthen national capacity through the expansion of technical and vocational education and training.
“This is an entire facility that is going to serve not only our core ambition for expanded technical skills nationally, but it’s also going to become a regional hub, and that’s where we want to take it,” Minister Parag said.
She emphasised that the expansion of technical skills must be accompanied by stronger occupational safety standards, particularly as Guyana continues to experience rapid economic growth.
According to the Minister, ensuring the safety and well-being of workers must remain a priority as the country expands its productive sectors.
“We cannot say that we’re an oil-producing nation and we are developing at a pace that is now called the fastest-growing economy…and then we do not take care of our most valuable asset, which is our people,” she asserted.
Minister Parag further noted that the success of the OSH Centre should not be measured solely by the number of students who pass through its programmes.
Instead, she said, the centre’s long-term success will be reflected in the number of trained professionals who go on to become leaders in occupational safety and health in Guyana and across the wider region.
The facility is therefore expected to play a significant role in equipping workers and professionals with the specialised knowledge and skills required to promote safer workplaces while supporting Guyana’s growing demand for technically qualified personnel.