PWD training centre to open early 2020
Minister Joey Hew with current cohort of PWD construction apprentices 
Minister Hew talks to PWD apprentices 
Minister Hew with PWD staff, apprentices and Cayman Structural Group on the lower level of future Apprentice Training Facility 
Minister Hew with PWD staff and Cayman Structural Group in front of Apprentice Training Facility construction site
(CNS Local Life): The Public Works Department’s dedicated Apprentice Training Facility is scheduled to open at the PWD compound early in 2020, officials have said. The 3,200 sq.ft building will be raised above the car park on columns, which will create a covered, open-air space below. The upper level will consist of an open-plan space with a folding, full-height partition, which allows for two separate teaching spaces of 550 sq.ft each. The facility will have an elevator and accessible restroom, ensuring that it is accessible to everyone.
In addition, in support of the National Energy Policy, the new building will have various energy saving features, including energy efficient impact rated windows, 100% LED lighting, solar water heating along with other provisions to accept a solar energy collector application in the future.
The PWD Construction Apprenticeship Programme runs in conjunction with the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre, which provides many of the trainees enrolled and is supported by private sector partners. The programme, which has been labelled “world class” by a global technical, vocational, education and training (TVET) expert, was launched in 2016.
It developed after the PWD flagged the lack of required practical skills and technical knowhow locally to carry out work in the construction industry at the requisite standard. Realising that taking on individual apprentices was too small an approach to meet industry demands, PWD partnered with CIFEC before eventually opening up to students not enrolled in any institution.
Minister for Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure Joey Hew recently visited the construction site at the PWD compound to see the progress and to meet the latest cohort on the PWD Construction Apprenticeship Programme. He was accompanied by Acting Public Works Director Niasha Brady and Deputy Chief Officer Leyda Nicholson-Makasare.
Stressing how pleased he was to see so many females among the group, which included aspiring architects and engineers, Hew said, “This visit has been truly enjoyable because I get to meet the young people who will soon take their rightful place in the future of this important industry. Since 2012, the construction sector has seen sustained growth across the Cayman Islands; it plays a vital role, alongside our tourism and financial services industries, in safeguarding our economic growth.”
Minister Hew praised the project’s private sector partner, Cayman Structural Group, for their support with the construction, particularly with regards to the hands-on training they are providing to the current apprentices.
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Category: Education, Local News, Training
