Cabinet has agreed to a proposal for the Ministry of Education to pay stipends to students at Technical and Vocational Training Centres at Mahaicony, Leonora and the Upper Corentyne.
According to the Ministry of the Presidency, “it was noted that the completion rate for courses given in collaboration with other institutions such as the Board of Industrial Training where stipends were given, was much higher.”
Additionally, it was noted that only approximately 46% of the students enrolled managed to graduate. The major reason for this was cited as the high cost of transportation.
As such, students of the Mahaicony Technical Institute and the Upper Corentyne Technical Institute will receive $2,500 per month while students of the Leonora Technical Institute will receive $4,000 per month. The Stipends were approved with effect from September 1, 2016.
These Centres were established to provide second opportunities for youths to develop skills that would enable them to obtain gainful employment.
