Karim launches TT’s first welding caravan
TERTIARY Education and Skills Training Minister Fazal Karim yesterday launched the Metal Industries Company’s (MIC) first ever welding caravan at MIC headquarters Century Drive, Trincity Industrial Estate in Macoya.
In delivering the feature address, Karim described the Caravan as “jobs in the palm of your hands.”
The state-of-the-art 25-seater bus, outfitted with eight welding simulators will benefit trainees through the prominent technology used in welding, lifting of professional status, ensure that interest is built in the welding occupational area, and “credentialing the uncredentialised.”
Persons in remote areas in Trinidad and Tobago will also benefit by bringing “welding on wheels” to them.
The welding simulators will employ similar technology to the larger VRTEX 360 welding machines used to facilitate welding training at the MIC Institute of Technology’s Advanced Training Centre in Macoya.
This innovative service was designed to encourage persons to join the Institute’s higher level welding programmes. In fact, Karim noted that for the period 2010 to 2014, 4,053 welding trainees have graduated from various programmes offered by the MIC.
In his concluding remarks, Karim reminded the gathering that the skills gap must be addressed and that employers should “come to the source of the graduates.”
He announced that the Youth Fair will be launched soon, in an effort for employers to get to know youth as persons and not just employees.