The Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI), Alumni students on Wednesday 7 July 2021 launched the National Alumni Association. The event was held at the GTTI premises in Kanifing.The objectives of the Alumni Association is to help promote the welfare of the institution. Also to help establish contact among the GTTI Alumni for mutual assistance in their personal development.

 To organize the members collective efforts in assisting their alma-mater in the fulfillment of its academic mission as a world class tertiary education among others. In his opening remarks, Mr. Israel Aseweje, GTTI National Alumni President said, GTTI is not only a vocational training institution. He said gtti is training high professionals in various areas such as engineering, computer science, constructors, information technology managers, among other areas, he explained.

 He stated that since the establishment of the school, this is the first time the school is having a student alumni, he noted. He said having the alumni is a historic moment for GTTI. According to Mr. Aseweje, the association was formed on 4 October 2017 and was registered on 28 February 2018.

 He said; “this is what we have been working on to have a GTTI alumni,” Israel Aseweje said. “Today we are confident as students of GTTI.” He called on the members of the alumni to continue working hard to ensure the objectives of forming the alumni are achieved.

He stressed that the school has contributed significantly in the development of the country.GTTI alumni president added that the school has also helped to mitigate some unemployment challenges that the youth are facing. Mr. Aseweje concluded by saying gtti students are not trained to be job seekers but to be job creators, he ended.

 Mr. Edward C Mansal, Director General of GTTI, described the alumni as a milestone achievement of GTTi. Mr. Mansal said the launch of the alumni is a great initiative from the students and it will boost the morals of the students, he stressed.GTTI DG, said the alumni will go a long way in the history of the school. “The institution is now over 38 years old since it was established in 1980 and such has never happened in the school before,” Edward C Mansal said.

 Speaking further, Mr. Mansal said if you want to move a country forward, you cannot do it in the absence of skills. He added that quality skills are what people need to live a comfortable life. He said GTTi is very important for the development of the country. Antony Mendy, Director of MOTHERST, also commended the students of GTTI for forming the alumni and he assured the ministry firm support to ensure that quality education is promoted across the country.

 Mr. Mendy said the establishment of the GTTI alumni is crucial in the development of the country.Amadou Gigo, CEO of Gigo construction also highlighted the importance of skills in the development of any nation. Mr Gigo said there cannot be any meaningful development in the absence of quality skills.

 He encouraged members of the alumni to work hard and emulate others to do the same for the betterment of the country. CEO, Gigo construction said the construction industry is an important sector in the economic growth of any nation, he explained.

 Other speakers at the event include, Yusupha Keita rep from ITC, John Luciano Bass VP of GTTI alumni, Gaston Mendy staff of GTTI, representatives of NYC among others who all grace the occasion and called on members to keep the spirits of good work. GTTI was established in 1980 under an act of the National Assembly and started operations in 1983 with only three departments which are extended to seven departments.

By Dawda Baldeh