The Guyana Mining School and Training Centre Inc., a body corporate of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, recently launched a second ‘Introduction to Jewellery Making’ course at the E. R. Burrowes School of Art Carifesta Avenue.
This second training batch was made possible through collaboration and contributions from the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, Jacob’s Jewellery, Raj Jewellery, Steve’s Jewellery, King’s Jewellery, R. Sookraj Jewellery and L & V Danram Wholesale and Retail.
The programme is intended to build the capacity of the local jewellery industry, provide opportunities for indigenous youths, and ultimately result in a more significant input to GDP by the jewellery industry. The course had its genesis in March of 2022 during a stakeholder meeting organised by the Minister of Natural Resources.
There, stakeholders brought to the attention of the Minister the demand for high-quality Guyanese jewellery and the skills deficit of the industry to meet the demand. During the meeting, stakeholders agreed that the primary way to address the need for skilled and certified workers was by training goldsmiths and apprenticeship programs. To address these issues, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, urged the Guyana Mining School to design and develop a training program for goldsmiths and apprentices in Guyana.
Under Mr Vaughn Felix, Director of the Mining School, the programme was designed and implemented to provide the industry with the necessary skills, knowledge, and certification. It also outlined the steps to ensure safety and compliance with all relevant regulations. The first batch was launched in June 2022 and was followed by an Intermediate batch in September 2022.
