Gov’t justifies building Gy$35M mining school in Linden

By Reuben Stoby

The initial budget for the soon-to-be established Guyana Mining School and Training Centre Inc has been estimated at Gy$ 35 million, which will come from government coffers, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud has said.

He also defended his administration’s decision to build the school in Linden which some miners said would be off the beaten track and may just be a token to the restive mining community.
The school, which will be located at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Minerals Processing Unit (Research and Development Laboratory) in Linden, will be opened by September month-end. “.. we are moving this forward gradually and hoping that we will have buy-ins and partnerships… as was recognised it is long overdue and we can’t wait on the ideal but build something that is functional and then we build on that”, Persaud said.
He added that there was the possibility that the school could become a private initiative, with government being responsible for quality control and syllabus content. And even though the initial budget is estimated at Gy$ 35 million, Persaud said that figure could vary depending on the sort of assistance they receive from mining companies and other stakeholders.
The school, even before its establishment, received a donation from one of the mining entities. On Monday, Mahdia Gold Corporation donated four desktop computers to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry for the Guyana Mining School and Training Centre Inc.
The minister said the school will start at a very elementary level and will target mining companies and those persons already in the mining sector, noting that the mining sector is growing at a rapid pace but human resource shortages have hampered its growth. He said the school would also be collaborating with the large-scale companies to have some of their trained personnel pass on some of their knowledge and skills at the school.
Persaud noted too that a hall of residence will be constructed within the geographic zone to accommodate students and lecturers from outside of Region 10.
Why Linden for the training facility?
There have been some questions from persons in the mining industry on the location of the mining school since they were of the view that there were many technical institutions around the country and the course could have just been added to the existing curriculum.
However, Minister Persaud said Linden is historically the bauxite town or mining town of Guyana and the gateway to the mining regions of the country’s economy. “Hence, a town that knows mining better than any other part of the country is the most ideal place to open a school that will allow the people of the town and the region to be better equipped to emerge from the challenges of the modern mining industries. Hence, it is expected that Linden will provide a frequent enrolment of persons who are interested in working in the extractives sectors.”
He said the decision to locate the school in Linden was strategically determined since it would allow persons from the other mining districts to have easier access to the facilities that would be available at the institution. “Thus, Linden is also a transit town for miners and persons of the mining industry and as such, someone will find it convenient to attend a lecture or seminar at the school, if they are travelling through Region 10.”
It is hoped that with government’s inputs to diversify the economic base of the mining sector that a massive educational thrust as this would ensure that Guyanese are able to take advantage of the opportunities in this transformative age.