Guyana: “If I can do it, then you can too,” says Dr Razack as 169 residents get certificates

Georgetown, Guyana: The Labour Ministry outlined that Dr Rozika Razack is now certified in Commercial Food Preparation, thanks to the Board of Industrial Training, after completing the intensive programme.

The Ministry informed that at a graduation ceremony at Tipperary Hall, she received her certification alongside 169 residents of Buxton and surrounding communities on East Coast Demerara. Information Technology, Commercial Food Preparation, Garment Construction and Electrical Installation were the skills the graduates were taught.

Dr Razack told BIT officials that the training opportunity seemed to fall into her lap because she is stationed at the Betterhope Community health centre, which is next to where the agency regularly holds its training programmes. She stated that she has always viewed cooking as a form of relaxation, so this decision was a no-brainer because she was able to learn new techniques and skills.

“It’s always been a passion of mine. I enjoy cooking and want to broaden my horizons by learning new dishes and baking techniques. So I figured, “Why not go ahead and invest my time in learning a skill?” Dr Razack explained, according to the post.

It added that the delighted graduate thanked the agency, and by extension, the Ministry of Labour, for providing her with the opportunity to learn this useful skill. As a result, she encourages others to take advantage of the institution’s training programmes in order to gain the necessary knowledge as well as skills to be marketable.

Ms Saskia Eastman-Onwurizike, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Board of Industrial Training, spoke briefly about the country’s skilled labour shortage, especially in the oil and gas industry, which the agency is working to address.

As a result, she encouraged graduates to learn more than one skill in order to be marketable in today’s society. She also encouraged them to share their knowledge with other interested parties and to take advantage of the agency’s training programmes.

The ministry mentioned that Joseph Hamilton, Minister of Labour, congratulated the graduates on their accomplishments, noting that today’s event demonstrates residents’ increased interest in the training programmes available.

“In less than three years, we have trained close to 8000 people across the country, demonstrating the government’s commitment to building a skilled labour force to benefit from the country’s emerging industries,” the Minister said, as per the post by the ministry.

While concluding the social media post, the Labour Ministry of Guyana stated, “He stated that the government would continue to invest in human resources in order to provide life-changing opportunities to its citizens for a better future. Senior Technical Officer Leon Greaves, Technical Officer Stanislaus Willis, and Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Natecia Garraway, among other officials, were present at the ceremony. In 2022, 5,600 people will be trained in various technical and vocational programmes. This batch includes approximately 1000 residents from Region Four.”