The Ministry of Education is expanding access to Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) by commissioning two new AutoCAD laboratories at Hope Secondary School and North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary School.

The labs allow students to develop practical design skills aligned with emerging career fields.

The laboratories are part of the ministry’s continued expansion of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

The students are being introduced to computer-aided design skills that can support careers in engineering, architecture, construction, manufacturing and other technology-driven industries.

Minister of Education Sonia Parag said the initiative recognises that students have different strengths and career interests.

She made it clear that technical education must provide meaningful pathways beyond traditional academic disciplines.

“There are children who will do very well with technical skills, meaning that they can build their capacity in some sort of skills training that will allow them to contribute constructively to their communities, earn a living, and also contribute nationally,” she said.

The new facilities are part of an $85 million effort to establish specialised computer laboratories for Industrial Technology at six secondary schools.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Education Officer (TVET), Dr Ritesh Tularam, said the investment comes at a time when Guyana’s expanding economy is creating greater demand for digitally skilled and technically competent workers.

“In Guyana’s emerging sectors of manufacturing, construction, ICT, and oil and gas, we will require persons with these digital skills to gain employment and, of course, contribute to the national agenda,” he noted.

Dr Tularam said the AutoCAD laboratories are intended to bridge the gap between education and industry by giving students practical exposure to digital design from an early stage.

He explained that the new facilities will also serve as a digital skills hub, providing opportunities for students from neighbouring schools to access the laboratory and develop AutoCAD proficiency.

Minister Parag said the government intends to replicate the model in other parts of Guyana, allowing more students to benefit from modern technical training.

The new laboratories will allow students in Grades 10 and 11 to create digital designs with greater accuracy, explore three-dimensional modelling and translate their ideas into practical projects, while providing a foundation for further education, technical certification and employment.

The initiative also comes alongside broader efforts by the ministry to strengthen TVET through upgraded facilities and equipment, revised curricula, competency-based training and teaching materials aligned with developments in the labour market.

The minister encouraged students to maximise the opportunities provided by the new facilities and to take responsibility for maintaining the laboratories so that future cohorts can benefit from the investment.