AutoCAD Lab commissioned at Abram Zuil Secondary School

May 09, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – Minister of Education, Sonia Parag on Friday commissioned the country’s first ever AutoCAD (computer-aided design) Laboratory at the Abram Zuil Secondary School in Region Two, which will enhance the delivery of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) in schools in a digital way.

The state-of-the-art lab enables students to turn their technical drawing sketches into precise 2D and 3D models.

In her address at the ceremony, Minister Parag stated that the lab is the first in a series of such projects to be commissioned.

Noting the importance of the investment, the education minister said, “It is relevant, and it is going to take you a step further to contemporary times and transformation.”

With the construction boom happening across the country, minister told students that the skills they will gain now will equip them for future careers.

“And so, this is why this is important because we need to not only assess what’s existing in our country now, but what’s going to exist in our future, what the future of Guyana is going to look like. If you are young kids, and you are growing up here, you are seeing what’s happening in Essequibo on a daily basis. For someone who has left and come back after a while, it’s a new place to me. It looks like something new to me because of all the transformation that’s taking place, you wouldn’t quite understand that,” she explained.

She told students that the skills they will gain will provide them with opportunities to become globally competitive later on in life.

“So, this is where that takes you, no longer you got to be doing on a paper, erasing, fixing. I mean, you can still do that, but now you have technology that is integrated in digitising, pushing you a step further to where developed countries are. And that is how you become globally competitive. That is how you build the skills you can utilise internationally,” she said.

Stating that the AutoCAD labs will provide foundational training for those heading into technology, engineering and advanced engineering careers, she urged students to utilise it.

“I hope that you will utilise this lab. I hope that you see this lab for what it is. Our president has invested tremendously in education over the last six years, he’s going to continue to do that, and he is going to continue to invest in technical and vocational training throughout the country, so that every region will experience one of those centers. We will continue to have the AutoCAD labs throughout the school system, you will continue to benefit from resources available throughout the system, and you will be able to do what your parents possibly could not afford. The government is working towards ensuring that you are supported throughout the school system,” she expressed in her remarks.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Education Officer with responsibility for Technical Education, Dr. Ritesh Tularam, said with the opening of this AutoCAD lab, the government is now advancing TVET students with acquiring the skill sets and competencies in the full utilisation of computer aided designs.

He recalled that during his time in secondary school and even at the University of Guyana the traditional methodology of technical education or technical drawing, students used to have a drawing board with a set square with a pair of compasses, pair of dividers, to create their designs.

In the ministry’s efforts to move away from that, Mr. Tularam stated that within the last few years, there have been significant strides and or investments as it relates to the provision of quality, relevance and equity in the delivery of technical education at schools.

He noted too that with the transformation happening across the region and the country as a whole, they will need persons in the field of architecture, in civil engineering and mechanical engineering and surveying, and “all these are engineering disciplines that will require designs or concepts or creation of an idea.”

“And so here is where our students at this institution can now benefit from this facility by acquiring those skill sets so that they can have that smooth or that fluidity in terms of their career projection, moving on to the University of Guyana and completing a program in architecture, and, by extension, any other program related to engineering. They are now being prepared with what we call the requisite skill sets, so that upon entering the University of Guyana or any other technical institutes, you are preparing yourself, you’re protecting yourself for that opportunity, so that you can compete equally in this space that is existing before us,” he elaborated.

During his remarks, he not only encouraged students to maximise the opportunities of the laboratory but to also take care of it, so that the people to come after, the students that will benefit after, they can enjoy the same benefits.

In brief remarks, headteacher of the school, Sir Jerome Rampersaud said this is just not only a commissioning ceremony, but it is about opening the door to new possibilities in a space created for students to gain hands on experience in design and drafting skills that are essential in engineering, architecture and other technical fields.

“I am delighted to see that with this initiative, we are closer to realising our institution’s vision, which is to provide experiences for every student to be empowered to make a worthwhile contribution to society, our students will now be vested with the skills to navigate the digital and technologically driven world. I envision this AutoCAD lab as a hub of learning, collaboration and innovation, where ideas can be transformed into tangible solutions, which is what we do best at Abram Zuil Secondary School,” he expressed.

He also urged students to embrace this opportunity, noting that the rewards are high, the competition is real and they now have the tool to design and build. “Let your future be shaped as your imagination meets technology,” he added.

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• Abram Zuil Secondary School, advanced engineering careers, AutoCAD Lab, TVET

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