By Ndey Sowe
Momodou A. Jallow, Vice President of the Gambia Technical Training Institute’s (GTTI) Students Union, said Government has always been side-lining their institute when it comes to the provision of subventions and facilities, as obtained at other institutions.
Jallow said this at the Institute’s Campus in Knifing on Thursday May 9th 2019, during a press briefing on the forthcoming GTTI Skills Day to be held on 13th June.
Jallow said some time ago, President Adama Barrow gave vehicles to institutions such as the University of the Gambia (UTG), Management Development Institute (MDI) and the Gambia College; that these vehicles were given to these institutions to ease transportation; that as a Government institution, GTTI is the primary technical vocational training institute in the country, and is the backbone for national development through the provision of skilled manpower.
He said GTTI is the center for development, and urged the President to support them with transportation and other technical materials for the institute. “We need transportation just like other institutes,’’ he said.
Majula Barrow, Secretary General of the Union, said the GTTI Skills Day is celebrated by students from all sections of the institute, and is the time the skilful knowledge acquired is displayed; that the event highlights the major challenges technical students’ face to acquire their skills.
“GTTI is known to be the core development area of TVET which is geared to empower the youth,’’ she said; that the GTTI Skills Day yearns to raise awareness among students and the general public on the importance of acquiring skills and polytechnic education.
Fabel Ensa T. Jarju, President of GTTI SU said it is only through a skilled labour force that one can boast of the economic development of a country.
“If the Government side-lines the Institute, we should be the ones to boost it up,” he asserted; that if people are not willing to support them, they should give support to each other.
He said they are ready to develop the country, and called on the President to assist them with their needs, and concluded by encouraging Gambians to learn and acquire skills.
