More footballers to benefit from skills development through GFF/MACORP partnership

President of the Guyana Football Federation Wayne Forde and Chief Executive Officer of Machinery Corporation of Guyana (MACORP) Guillermo Escarraga on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a period of one year to allow the continuation of the excavator and technician scholarship programme for footballers in Guyana.

The simple ceremony, held at MACORP Headquarters in Providence, East Bank Demerara, was attended by Saskia Eastman, Chief Executive Officer (ag) of the Board of Industrial Training, Ministry of Labour and GFF and MACORP officials.

The scholarship was launched in 2021 and a total of 21 male and female footballers have completed the three-week training programme and are now certified MACORP operators.

This new 2023 MoU provides for an additional 11 young footballers to access this life-changing skills development scholarship programme.

GFF President Forde said the partnership between the Federation and MACORP will continue to have a positive impact on the lives of footballers by equipping them with a key skill that is now in high demand in Guyana, thus enabling them to be better prepared for life after football.

“The skills and the certification they would have earned is going to benefit them whether they choose to use that skill today, or two to three years down the road. For many of them, they are acquiring an invaluable skill at a time when the demand for skill labour in Guyana is at its highest in our country’s history. This is due primarily to the aggressive transformational national development agenda being pursued by President Ali and the government of Guyana,” Forde explained.

“These young men and women will be much better prepared for life after football, much more so than many former players that would paved the way for the bounty of opportunities this new generation of footballers are enjoying. The GFF is a player centered organisation; it is therefore my vision to create more skill and educational opportunities for our footballers and to encourage and challenge corporate Guyana to consider and perhaps emulate MACORP’s example of goodwill towards the youths of our nation.”

He thanked MACORP for their commitment to football development on and off the pitch and congratulated the players who have graduated from the programme over the last two years.

“All of the players who we have entered into the programme to date have completed the programme so this is an accomplishment that we are particularly proud of,” Forde shared.

MACORP CEO Escarraga added that the past graduates “did very well. They actually attended all the classes and we had good feedback from our trainers.”

Escarraga also noted that his company wants the graduates to utilise the skills acquired by working in the industry.

“We want to see engagement. That is very important that they actually see this as an opportunity…a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not everybody would have that chance, so we want to see those selected show up on time, make sure that they do the assignments and to be able to provide the trainers with feedback. We want them to be engaged in the industry. At the end of the day, this is what really matters that they can actually go and perform.”

Eastman of the Board of Industrial Training said she was pleased that the GFF is focusing on the development of the players for life after football so that they can “provide for their families, community and the country at large.”

“The GFF under the leadership of President Forde through strategic partnerships with corporate Guyana continues to focus on equipping footballers with crucial skills that will better prepare them for life after football.”