The National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST) , in collaboration with Shell Trinidad and Tobago Ltd., officially launched and showcased the pilot season of their FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) on Saturday.
The international competition engages students aged 12–18 in designing, building, and programming robots.
At the launch ceremony and showcase of the First Tech Challenge (FTC), President of NIHERST Julie David reminded the students that the competition serves for more than just technical training.
“It’s a launch pad for life skills, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and leadership. It mirrors the real world, demanding innovation, strategy, and resilience.”
Minister of Education Dr. Michael Dowlath encouraged the students to put their best foot forward even in the midst of challenges.
“And one of the things I want to speak to the students is this, you will fail many, many times before you succeed. And so it allows us to be confident and not give up. It allows us to build our competence. But what it does for us too, it allows us to be courageous.”
Dr. Dowlath also recognized the need for the project to be implemented across all educational institutions.
“Every child can learn, and so every student must be given the opportunity to learn the kind of technology, not just in STEM, but they must be given the opportunities to develop entrepreneurial skills.”
Also at the event was Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training Prof. Prakash Persad who challenged the students to create new technologies.
“It’s fine to use existing technology to build upon, but I think we should not limit ourselves by looking at only what’s existing to build on that. We must start to build from ourselves if you want to really innovate. That’s how it should be. We need to understand that.”
And SHELL representative Ryssa Brathwaite noted that robotics have the ability to create new jobs in the future.
“They open doors to careers that didn’t exist before. There’s going to be need for good ethics. ethical scientists, robotics engineers, drone operators, cyber security experts. And these jobs will exist for decades because we will always need human creativity and oversight.”
FTC engages students aged 12–18 in designing, building, and programming robots, giving a first-hand look at innovation, teamwork, and problem-solving in STEM.