New $360M Practical Instruction Department commissioned in Bartica

Jul 17, 2025 News

---

Kaieteur News – Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand on Wednesday commissioned a $360 million Practical Instruction Department (PID) at the Bartica Secondary School, Region Seven.

This state-of-the-art facility marked the sixth such facility completed under the Guyana Skills Development and Employability Project (GSDEP), a flagship initiative which is preparing young people for the world of work.

According to a release from the ministry, the newly commissioned Bartica PID is a modern, purpose-built training center which was constructed by KP Thomas and Sons and was supervised by CEMCO Engineering.

The facility was constructed and supervised to the cost of $273 million, with an additional $87 million invested in tools and equipment, bringing the total investment to more than $360 million, the ministry noted.

Kaieteur News understands that the PID project falls under GSDEP, which is funded through a US$14.04 million partnership between the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Government of Guyana. Of this, US$11.7 million came from the CDB loan facility, US$552,000 from a grant, and US$1.79 million in counterpart funding from the Government of Guyana.

About the facility, it is equipped with modern training spaces for a wide range of technical disciplines. It features a commercial food preparation kitchen with all the necessary equipment found in a professional culinary environment. It has a motor vehicle and small engine workshop which includes hydraulic lifts, a digital wheel alignment system, and diagnostic tools capable of servicing everything from family cars to heavy-duty machinery, the ministry detailed.

Also, there is a welding workshop outfitted for arc, MIG, and acetylene welding, while the furniture-making workshop features high-grade saws and woodworking equipment. There is also a masonry and plumbing workshop with everything from tile cutters to concrete vibrators. Additionally, the facility boasts a rehabilitated smart classroom equipped with computers, a smartboard, and Starlink internet to support digital learning, the ministry stated.
According to the ministry, while speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Minister Manickchand emphasized that this is the fifth such facility she has opened in under three years, noting that it is “a testament to the Ministry’s unwavering commitment to expanding Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across the country, even after the significant setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Other facilities have already been opened at locations such as Fellowship, Hopetown, Beterverwagting, and St. Ignatius, with each serving as a hub for skill development and empowerment.

“Minister Manickchand underscored that this facility represents far more than a new building. It reflects the government’s broader intention to provide students with real options, academic and practical. She expressed her delight at seeing boys taking up commercial food preparation and girls excelling in motor repairs, pointing to a shift in thinking that allows young people to pursue skills based on interest and talent rather than outdated gender norms,” the ministry reported.

During her remarks also, the Education Minister said that the world is increasingly recognizing that technical skills are just as valuable, if not more marketable, than traditional academic qualifications.

She emphasized that the government is not limiting students to only academic subjects or predefined career paths, but instead, offering them access to both academic learning and technical training so they can choose what suits them best in a rapidly changing world.

Further, the ministry informed that the newly commissioned facility in Bartica is part of a national push to ensure that students in every region have access to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

This publication reported that while commissioning a similar facility in Region Nine last month, President Irfaan Ali emphasised the government’s commitment to strengthening the TVET sector in response to the growing demand for skilled labour and the historically limited avenues available to cultivate such skills.

The Head-of-State also outlined that the government is not only focused on producing skilled professionals for the national workforce but also on equipping individuals with the capabilities to thrive internationally.

---

• Bartica, Minister Priya Manickchand, Practical Instruction Department (PID), skill, TVET, workforce

---