CRC Considers Assistance for TC

CRC Considers Assistance for TC
Plans are underway by the management of the Cavalla Rubber Corporation (CRC) in Pleebo, Maryland County to provide support towards the rehabilitation of the William V. S. Tubman Technical College (T.C.) in Harper, the County provisional capital.
TC is the only higher institution of learning in the underserved Southeast but its camps was ruined by the civil war and effort are being garnered by the government and partners to restore the College.
In an exclusive interview in Pleebo with a team of journalists from Monrovia recently, the General Manager of CRC, John Y. Barkemene, said his company intends to soon offer material and financial support to have the Technical College working once again. He did not say what would be given or the amount to be involved. However, he said, if refurbished, the institution would serve as beacon of hope for thousand of young people in the south east as well as a medium for development in the region. He noted that the institution would also attract development to their area in terms of resource capacity building; providing both academic and vocational education free-of-charge.
Mr. Barkemene maintained that if Liberia was to progress in its post-war reconstruction, government should provide training to young Liberians in a way that they could meaningfully and effectively contribute to rebuilding process of the war-torn country.
He further explained that the civil war did not only destroyed lives and infrastructures, but it also created a huge gap in terms of brain-drain, which makes it incumbent upon all development agencies, key stakeholders as well as government to highly consider the provision of basic skills and techniques for Liberians in order to enable them meet the mounting challenges of the future.
The CRC General Manager pointed out that the United States of America, Great Britain, Japan, and other rich nations are what they are because they invested a lot in their people. Barkemene states that Liberia could achieve similar feat by drawing up appropriate national programs to develop its human resources.
“When we took over Cavalla in December 2007, paramount among out plans was the training and retraining of our employees in every sector of the establishment. Some of these trainings will take place in Liberia and others abroad.
He indicated that his company was bringing in new equipment to set up a modern process plant. He disclosed that the equipment would arrive in November and the plant will be commissioned in December by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Barkemene said once full production activities begin following the installation of his new equipment, CRC would employ more persons, increasing job opportunities and alleviating poverty among the population.
He promised that similar CRC scholarship scheme, which through several students hailing form Maryland County are being sponsored at various universities including Cuttington and University of Liberia would be introduced at TC to afford less fortunate students in the County an opportunity to attain tertiary education.

CRC GM, Barkemene