By Ben TC Brooks
RIVER GEE – The River Gee Vocational and Technical Training Institute (RIVTTI) on its inaugural academic journey, has commenced classes for its first-ever semester works for the 2024-25 academic year.
The RIVTTI officially opened its doors for academic work on Monday, October 21, 2024, at its twin campuses in River Gee County.
During the ceremony marking the official commencement of academic exercises, Deputy Director for Academic Affairs, Mr. Nyantee Dweh, called on heads of departments to ensure that instructors are present, on time, with syllabi, and are fully prepared to teach.
He urged instructors to work diligently as the institution rolls out its first academic calendar.
In his welcoming statement, Mr. Dweh extended thanks and appreciation to students for willingly accepting to be the first to enroll at the River Gee-based TVET institution.
Reports from the Office of the Registrar of the institution suggest that over 250 students have registered for various disciplines, as the school embarks upon its maiden academic semester this year.
In terms of accommodation, the River Gee Vocational and Technical Training Institute has two separate facilities for use as campuses in different locations in River Gee County.
Students of the Catering and Tailoring Departments have already begun classes at the Women and Girls Center on Teajiliken Road, in the capital, Fish-Town, while students of the Technical Department, General Agriculture, Auto Mechanics, and Two Strokes Mechanics, are enrolling at the Sarbo Sweaken main campus located in the southeastern part of River Gee about 30 kilometers outside the county’s capital, Fish-Town.
The RIVTTI offered programs are for a year’s intensive training following which candidates are required to undergo internship before graduation.
The River Gee Vocational and Technical Training Institute was birthed as a result of a 2020 Act of the Legislature, which was sponsored by River Gee’s Senator Francis Dopoh, who served at the time as the county’s District #3 Rep when in 2019, he submitted a bill for the establishment of the RIVTTI.
During the opening ceremony of RIVTTI recently held in River Gee, the Director General of the Agricultural and Industrial Training Bureau (AITB), Abraham Billy, disclosed that his Agency has delivered a training curriculum containing 13 trade areas, to authorities of the institution.
Director Billy named General Agriculture, covering rice, oil palm, vegetables, piggery, poultry, and root tubers; General Construction, which includes carpentry, masonry, plumbing, and electrical work; as well as tailoring, and both two-stroke and automatic mechanics, as courses contained in the training curriculum turned over to the RIVTTI.
He also disclosed that the AITB provided trainings to instructional and administrative staff of RIVTTI aimed at ensuring smooth operation of TVET programs at the institution.
He then pledged the AITB’s continued engagement with all TVET institutions including the RIVTTI, indicating that the AITB will from time to time carry out assessments and offer technical assistance to these vocational institutions.
For their part, parents in River Gee County have welcomed the introduction of TVET programs in the county and expressed happiness for the RIVTTI’s commencement of academic activities in River Gee.
A 68-year-old female, Madam Dorris Tole, of Sarbo Geeken, has joyfully thanked former lawmaker Francis Dopoh, now Senator of River Gee County, for introducing the bill for TVET education in the county, especially in Sarbo administrative district.
“I am so happy because since my two boys graduated from High School in 2018. No money to send them to Harper, Maryland to attend Tubman University – so the way we’re having the trade school here in my own district now, I asked them to enroll and they have accepted. As we speak, they both started attending today in different disciplines, and I am happy for such an opportunity,” said Madam Tole.
She’s hopeful that upon graduation, her boys would be useful in useful and productive in society, anticipating that they would then provide for her needs.
Also speaking, Mr. Philip Saytue, a prominent citizen of River Gee, thanked the Government of Liberia, especially local authorities of the county, for the introduction of what he termed a great learning opportunity for the youths of River Gee.
He noted that the lack of acquiring trade and obtaining university degrees among citizens, increases poverty, with Mr. Saytue expressing the hope that after the graduation of the first batch of those currently enrolled at the RIVTTI, youths of the county would be self-reliance and there would be improvement in the living standard of citizens in River Gee.
On day one of academic activities, several RIVTTI students told our reporter in the area that they were happy to be a part of history-making in River Gee. They vowed to always focus on their lessons for the betterment of society in general and their lives in particular.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education spending entity component for FY 2024’s total budget, which is US$111,329,481, allotted the RIVTT US$364,143.
Edited by Olando Testimony Zeongar.
