The Government has allocated $6.5 million toward the education of 50 employees from the Ministry of Local Government. They had been studying for an associate degree in environmental health at the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of T&T (Costaatt). The students, who comprised workers from entry-level positions within the ministry, began the two-year programme on June 3, with hopes of becoming health inspectors at the end of their studies.
This investment was necessary for building the capacity of the ministry, according to Minister of Local Government Surujrattan Rambachan. He said the ministry was “short on having the kind of personnel to deal effectively with public health issues.” At a scholarship award ceremony at the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure headquarters in Port-of-Spain yesterday, Rambachan said the programme was an important addition to the ministry’s work and to its future development.
“This programme comes in the midst of a reform exercise that has been undertaken by the Ministry of Local Government in terms of the modernisation and transformation of Local Government,” he said. “We recognised that we were short, that there was a shortfall in terms of human capacity.” The total cost for the two years—$6.5 million—included tuition fees ($22,500 per person), a book grant ($1,000), and the new students’ monthly salaries while away from work.
Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training Fazal Karim, who also spoke at the function, said: “They (students) have leave of absence, and so that they’re away from work and they’ll be paid their salaries as well.” He said the prospective health inspectors would also have secured jobs upon completion of the Gate-approved programme, and a new career path.