By Yankuba Jallow
The Gambia Technical Training Institute, GTTI, concluded a three weeks training programme for 150 refrigeration technicians from the Greater Banjul area, at their main campus in Kanifing.
The training was geared towards introducing the technicians to the modern system of refrigeration. The training was a three-week program that exposed participants to hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide management. The training commenced on July 10, 2017 and completed on the 28 July 2017.
The training is part of a contract signed between GTTI and UNIDO, to raise awareness and build the capacities of technicians and entrepreneurs on atmospheric friendly gases. The project chose technicians and entrepreneurs as key targets in the awareness campaign, bearing in mind that these groups are engaged in commercial application of ozone depleting substances, the use of which the project stands to discourage. The training is also to build the capacities for Technicians by exposing them to the use of Natural refrigerants.
The purpose of the training is to educate the existing technicians in the Gambia on the best and most cost effective refrigerants that help greenhouse gas emissions. The GTTI has concluded a similar training for rural technicians and entrepreneurs and now 150 urban technicians have been targeted for this three-week intensive training. The GTTI is a training provider for technical education in the Gambia and has closely partnered up with the NEA for the past 18 years.
The participants were given the platform to familiarize themselves with modern tools and equipment supplied to GTTI by UNIDO that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with industrial and domestic refrigeration and air conditioning. Furthermore, the participants were accorded the opportunity to learn and adopt good practices in the use of Natural Refrigerants now recommended as an alternative to Hydro Chloro-floro Carbon (HCFCs).
The Director General of GTTI, Jahou S. Faal, said the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Unit of GTTI under the Department of Engineering, is equipped with standard tools and equipment to carry out practical exercises in residential and small commercial refrigeration applications.
She said GTTI in fulfilling one of the desired outcomes of the innovation and enterprise efforts, is on this training, capacitising technicians in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector to be able to manage these modern tools and equipment.
She said the introduction of the Facebook page adds much value to the drive for continued collaboration between stakeholders in the project. She added that the page will also serve to be a continued sensitisation and awareness campaign tool for all.
