The government of the Republic of China-Taiwan, under its International Cooperation Development Fund (ICDF), has approved a loan of US$4M (four million dollars) and a technical assistance grant of US$2M for the establishment of an ultra-modern skills training centre in Sifoe, Western Region.

The project is intended to construct a state-of-the-art public Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institute. Guided by this wisdom, the National Training Authority's central function is to make the centre a model TVET institute for the Gambia skills qualifications as well as international ones. Towards the implementation of the skills training centre, a Project Coordinating Committee (PCC) was inaugurated, last Monday, in a ceremony held at the conference hall of the National Training Authority, along Kairaba Avenue.

Ousman Nyang, director of the National Training Authority, observed that the project will go a long way in addressing the needs of vocational training for the young people of the country, thereby aiding reduction of the rural-urban drift. The PCC, he went on, will serve as an advice-giving body that will be representing the central government with the primary task of supervising and monitoring the performance of the executing agency -The NTA.

Nyang used the platform to thank the government of the Republic of China-Taiwan for the endorsement of the project. Mariama Ndour-Njie, deputy permanent secretary at the Department of State for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, who is also the chairperson of the PCC, emphasised the need for steadfastness for the realisation of the goals of the project.   

According to Herman TC Chiu, deputy ambassador of the Republic of China - Taiwan, the project will bring about considerable changes in the lives of Gambians especially the youth folk. He informed the gathering that to ensure the effective and successful implementation of the project, various departments and individuals in the country must contribute. He then thanked the Gambia government for accommodating the grant. Outlining the implementation procedures of the project, Amadou Touray, desk officer of NTA and the coordinator of the project, said the project is divided into two main phases.

According to him, phase one will include the commercial department, engineering departments, etc., while phase two, which is funded by the Technical Assistance Fund, will enhance the center's operations effectiveness and efficiency as well as the development of the training standards and qualifications, curriculum and teaching material preparation, among other things. Edmond Shonubi, Information PR specialist of the National Training Authority, chaired the ceremony.