The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) has collaborated with the Power Generation Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (PowerGen), to host the third annual Utilities and Sustainable Engineering (USE) Award Ceremony. This ceremony serves to recognise top students from the University's USE programmes, through the awarding of bursaries and scholarships by PowerGen.

This joint initiative is the result of a two-year old Memorandum of Understanding between UTT and PowerGen, by which both parties committed to collaborate in energy-related research, particularly in areas such as energy efficiency, while training and developing human capital in emerging fields.

At the award ceremony, Guyanese-based Sharu Laloo was awarded a scholarship for the Most Outstanding National Energy Technician Diploma (NETD) Final Year Project, and for exceptional work in his final-year Bachelor in Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Utilities Engineering project, Vikash Persad was also awarded a scholarship. Recipients of this year's PowerGen bursaries are Shivani Ragbir and Ariyan Taiju, for Consistent High Academic Performance at the B.A.Sc. and NETD levels, respectively.

In his address, Professor Rean Maharaj, Acting President, UTT commended all awardees for fulfilling UTT's mission to produce graduates who are technically competent, disciplined and ready to contribute to society. This mission, he added, is achieved in part because UTT's programmes are deliberately industry driven, “Through advisory boards and continuous engagement with employers, curriculum design, delivery and review remain aligned to real industry needs”.

Also speaking at the award ceremony was Marsha Mohammed, Head, Legal Advisory Services, Legal and Regulatory Affairs, PowerGen, who also lauded the awardees on their achievements, citing they ‘represent the very best of what our country has to offer - talented, disciplined and forward-thinking individuals - ready to take on the challenges of the transforming utilities landscape.

At this event, two longstanding members of USE staff were also recognised for their contributions to the Unit, Mr Moti Ramsingh, Senior Instructor and former Discipline Leader, with over twenty-one years' service who has been instrumental in the development and strengthening of the NETD programmes; and recently retired  Instructor in Electrical, Electronic and Renewable Energy Engineering Technology, Mr Deoraj Ramroop, who, over nineteen years, made a significant contribution through his dedication to teaching and hands-on training.

Through collaboration such as this, UTT demonstrates its commitment to building the next generation of engineers and technical professionals while supporting national sustainable development goals. UTT also thanks PowerGen for its continued partnership, and looks forward to working together, to the benefit of all of Trinidad and Tobago.

Celebrating Academic Achievement: Professor Rean Maharaj, President (Ag), UTT (centre), with (l-r) Dr Miguel Jagessar, Assistant Professor, Utilities and Sustainable Engineering, UTT; Ariyan Taiju, PowerGen busary recipient; Marsha Mohammed, Head Legal Advisory Services, Legal and Regulatory Affairs, PowerGen; Shivani Ragbir, PowerGen bursary recipient and Eddy Nicholas, Manager, Outage Management, PowerGen at the recent award ceremony.