Aligning with DC’s internationalization focus, Durham College (DC) International’s three-year Caribbean Education for Employment (C-EFE): Driving World Connections project has officially come to a successful conclusion marked by a closing ceremony, hosted by the Government Technical Institute (GTI), the vocational institute in Georgetown at the centre of the project, and DC, in Georgetown, Guyana on September 15.

A DC contingent, including Katie Boone, manager, International Projects and Partnerships, Doug Hart, manager, Curriculum Design, Corporate Training Services and Phil Raby, professor/program co-ordinator, Broadcasting – Radio and Contemporary Media, travelled to Georgetown to participate in the ceremony. Boone spoke at the event and presented GTI with a plaque to recognize their partnership.

Jan Sheltinga, counsellor, Development Cooperation, High Commission of Canada, also spoke at the ceremony, congratulating the partners on their success while Guyana’s minister of education, Nicolette Henry, emphasized the importance of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to Guyana. Henry expressed her appreciation to the Canadian partners for their support.

Visitors in attendance were taken on a tour of the institute and its facilities by its principal, Renita Crandon Duncan, faculty members and students.

A special moment of the afternoon was the ribbon-cutting and official launch of GTI’s new Automotive Electrical/Electronics and Repairs Program – a direct outcome of the C-EFE project. Developed by DC and its partners, the College of the North Atlantic and the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, the program was designed in response to the growing needs of Guyana’s auto industry. The first cohort of students started the program this summer and will receive the National Vocational Qualification when they graduate.

Over the lifespan of the partnership, project initiatives have included: structured training for the Guyanese faculty to modernize their automotive curriculum under a competency-based model; technical training on new equipment as well as capacity-building in applied teaching strategies; support for GTI to build sustainable relationships with internal and external stakeholders; and fostering the growth of the leadership and change management skills of GTI’s administrative team. The project initiatives bolstered communication and teamwork between all of the partners resulting in more positive working relationships as reflected in GTI’s emerging institutional five-year strategic plan, developed with DC’s mentorship.

The C-EFE: Driving World Connections project was conducted with support from Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and Global Affairs Canada.