NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (August 13, 2021) — The construction of a multi-million-dollar, state-of-the-art multi-purpose technical wing at the Gingerland Secondary School is nearing completion.
Hon. Troy Liburd, Junior Minister of Education, made the disclosure during a tour of the site on August 12, 2021, with his Cabinet colleagues led by Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis.
“Very happy this morning to welcome the Cabinet, the Premier and other Cabinet colleagues to a visit here at the Gingerland Secondary School at the [Technical and Vocational Education and Training] TVET wing which is just about 90 percent completed. This project would have started sometime last year. I believe about 13 months ago and we are now nearing completion…
“It is part of the wider TVET project that has been happening here on Nevis for some time… Our contractors on this project were Lefco [Equipment Rentals & Construction Co. Ltd.], and the consultants on the project were FDL Consult Inc. out of St. Lucia. So, the project is set to be completed at the end of this month and then we would have some remedial work and to move in all of the equipment and so on and then the Gingerland Secondary School would have access to the building shortly.
Mr. Liburd expressed hope that the project would be of benefit to the island’s youth as the NIA strives to bring technical and vocational subjects to them.
The Junior Education Minister also spoke of the type of classrooms which will be housed in the 4,800 sq. ft. two-story building.
“The classrooms to be housed in the building when it’s complete would be a woodwork shop, technical drawing classrooms, electricity, cosmetology and there would be some general classrooms,” he said.
On completion of the $4million project, a similar but larger building will be constructed at the Charlestown Secondary School (CSS) to house the TVET programme there. Construction is expected to commence by 2022.
Both projects on Nevis form part of the wider $8million St. Kitts and Nevis TVET Enhancement Project which is funded by the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
Also present on the tour were Hon. Alexis Jeffers, Deputy Premier of Nevis; Hon. Eric Evelyn, Hon. Spencer Brand; Mr. Stedmond Tross, Cabinet Secretary; Mrs. Hélène Anne Lewis
Legal Advisor to the NIA; Mr. Darius Cumberbatch, Engineer for FDL Consult Inc.; Mr. Lester Blackett, Project Manager; and Mr. Dorson Ottley, TVET Officer at the Department of Education.