By Mama A. Touray
Minister of Higher Education Research, Science and T, Professor Pierre Gomez on Wednesday stated that the government is implementing projects that will change the landscape of tertiary and higher education.
He made this remark at the review and validation of the tertiary and higher education trust fund, student loan scheme, and national innovation fund bills forum held at Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center, Bijilo.
Addressing the stakeholders at the forum, Hon Gomez said: “it is worth noting that the government, through my Ministry, is implementing numerous projects and activities that will change the landscape of tertiary and higher education and continue to impact the lives of many young Gambians as the transformation of GTTI into USET has allowed over 140 students to access high-quality university education in a critical discipline, namely, Science, Engineering, and Technology for Entrepreneurship (STEE).”
He added that STEE is a landmark and a turning point in the history of higher education in The Gambia as Gambians are getting core engineering degree programme on the soil with a focus on business skills development.
Hon Gomez went on that TVET decentralization is also a laudable achievement that the Ministry continues to champion as two new centers, Ndemban and Kanilai in the West Coast Region have been refurbished and will soon be in operation.
He said similarly, the Mansakonko Rural Skills Centre has been renovated and expanded with dormitories, and Julangel is on a similar path of renovation.
He continued that the Ministry acquired two sites in CRR, specifically in Kerewan Mandinka in the Fulladu District, focusing on agri-business, and Madina Lamin Kanteh in Niani District, while adding that these centers will help address the skills gap in critical sectors of the economy and particularly in the provincial areas.
“The Agri-business Centre will train young people in the food production value chain and cover the business components of plant and animal production and agricultural mechanization, “ he added.
According to Minister, the Ministry is working on upgrading MDI and Gambia College into Civil Service and Teacher Education Institutions, respectively. “The MDI transformation will facilitate the civil service reform under the Ministry of Public Service, Administrative Reform, and Delivery by creating a highly trained and competent civil service for efficient service delivery, while the Teacher Education University will help to improve the quality and relevance in our education system. “
Meanwhile, he said, his ministry issued a press release calling on young people with BSc in Biology to come forth as there are scholarships abroad for them to study fisheries.
“We cannot have the ocean and river yet begging in style in some corners, the chain of dependence needs to be broken and that’s why we have to go back to the fundamentals by looking at fisheries,” he noted.