Guyana: Hinterland communities empowered through vocational, technical programmes; says Labour Ministry

Guyana: Thirty-Six (36) residents of Bina Hill and surrounding communities in the North Rupununi, Region Nine, obtained their Welding and Fabrication and Commercial Food Preparation certifications during a graduation ceremony held at the Green Enterprise Centre, on Friday, December 2, 2022.

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, Regional Chairman, Bryan Allicock, Former Fourth Vice President and Indigenous Peoples Affairs Minist; Sydney Allicock, Board of Industrial Training, Chief Executive Officer, Richard Maughn, Board of Industrial Training, Human Resource Officer, Melinda Kelly; and other officials attended this ceremony.

Camillia Williams, a CSO in charge of agriculture, informed BIT’s representatives that she wanted to develop the welding and fabrication skills required to work in the typically male-dominated field.

She expressed gratitude for her experience and hoped other women would take up the cause to draw possibilities from Guyana’s oil and gas industry. The eager graduate plans to launch her own company to benefit her neighbourhood.

Like Williams, Yona Moses, a Community Support Officer (CSO) in charge of health, developed an interest in welding and fabrication as a result of the shortage of workers in her area.

She claimed that having this profession’s certification will now enable one to participate in the government’s objective to fast-track the country’s development to enhance the lives of all Guyanese. Ze Bartholomew is a graduate of Welding and Fabrication who also happened to be the program’s best student.

He said to the BIT representative that he made the decision to take advantage of this training opportunity to raise his family’s level of living.

To this end, Bartholomew for believing that those like him need such life skills to better themselves. He will soon be considering other training opportunities to expand his knowledge base and skill set in order to advance his blossoming profession.

CEO of BIT, Maugh, reminded the graduates that the skills they had learned would enable them to contribute to the growth and development of the nation as envisioned by the PPP Administration and mandated by the Board of Industrial Training.

He noted that this was made possible by their dedication to growth and development, and as a result, the agency is dedicated to supporting more training initiatives in the hinterland, coastland, and riverine regions.

Maughn also encouraged them to advertise themselves to get a job or start their own business. Labour Minister Hamilton, in brief remarks, said that the ceremony carried out the government’s ‘One Guyana’ effort to give every Guyanese an equal opportunity.

It also supports efforts to increase the labour force in the nation and to develop the hospitality and tourism industries to draw more visitors.

Therefore, he promised that these training opportunities would continue to be provided in the hopes that more women would participate in hard skill set programs by 2023.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to assist the training of individuals was signed earlier this year by the BIT, the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), and the Bina Hill Technical Institute.