The Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) and LNG producer Atlantic have partnered to provide training to students in a new initiative called Sustainability Training for Secondary Schools.
This programme was approved by the Ministry of Education and is designed to include participants in four secondary schools in Atlantic’s home community of Point Fortin and will include Point Fortin East Secondary School, Point Fortin West Secondary School, Vessigny High School and Holy Name Convent Point Fortin. In total, 100 students will benefit from this virtual training.
The programme is based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy, Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Goal 13 – Climate Action. Some of the modules that the students will be trained in are: Sustainability, Energy Auditing, GHG/Carbon Footprint, Solar PV Systems, ICT applications in Sustainable Energy and Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Energy.
This virtual training will deliver over eighteen hours of content consisting of live sessions and prerecorded material. In addition, students will be required to complete a project at the end of the training with a view to ensuring that they can practically apply the valuable learnings they gain during the period. The programme will provide them with a better understanding of sustainability and its major elements as well as encourage them to share the knowledge that they have gained. It will also encourage them to become critical thinkers and expose them to the advancements taking place in the field. CARIRI and Atlantic anticipate having a cadre of sensitized individuals who are excited and motivated to encourage change in their communities.
As the exclusive programme sponsor, Atlantic believes that the Sustainability Training for Secondary Schools initiative directly aligns with the company’s work in supporting the continued growth and development of Point Fortin, including the area of environmental sustainability.
Atlantic’s Team Lead Sustainability Marlon Grant said, “As a company, we understand the critical role LNG will play in the global energy transition as alternative, greener sources of energy are being pursued. We have always operated with sustainability at the heart of our operations and so we value partnerships such as this initiative with CARIRI. It exposes members of our home community to those important concepts for thefast arriving future and builds capacity for innovation and the development of home-grown solutions to the environmental challenges we face at the community and national level.”
Both organizations expect that this training programme will sensitize students in Point Fortin and other stakeholders about climate change and the concept of sustainability and educate them on how to determine and reduce their individual or collective contributions. Additionally, students will be introduced to applicable renewable energy technologies and will be encouraged to seek the adoption and uptake in their communities.
Programme Leader of the Petroleum and Sustainable Energy Services Unit at CARIRI, Mrs Eka Rudder Fairman has expressed CARIRI’s delight at being able to take this training to the youths of the country and looks forward to inspiring our young people to become conservation warriors who take an active role in creating a better future for all of us. CARIRI has been involved in the field of Sustainable Energy for over six years now and within that time, has successfully executed Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Sustainability Programmes for its clients in various communities across the country. CARIRI offers customised training in Energy Auditing, Carbon Footprinting, Solar Photovoltaic Systems and Installation of Solar PV Systems to its stakeholders. CARIRI maintains a cadre of professionals who work with experts in industry to design and deliver customised training programmes.