Guyana: UG Environmental Health Final Year Students complete practical training in Occupational Safety and Health.
– Internship programmes launched by the Ministry of Labour aim to provide practical training for UG final year students within the industrial sector.
– Minister of Labour urged the University of Guyana body to enrol more students in the internship programme.
Eight (final year students are pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Health from the College of Medical Science, School of Allied Health, University of Guyana today received certificates after completing an eight-week internship programme through the Ministry of Labour, Occupational Health (OSH), and Safety Department.
The small certification ceremony was held in the Ministry of Labour Boardroom and was attended by the Minister of Labour, Hon. Joseph Hamilton, Permanent Secretary, Bishram Kuppen, OSH Consultant, Gwyneth King, Senior OSH officers, Roydon Croal, and Neza King and Clinical Coordinator at the College of Medical Science, School of Allied Health, University of Guyana, Brithni Chester and staff of the OSH department.
Brief remarks were made by Permanent Secretary, Bishram and OSH Consultant King on the efforts made by the ministry to fill the gap of persons leaving tertiary education who lacks experience in their field of study.
The students were also commended on their dedication by Senior OSH Officer Croal, who worked closely with them along with other OSH officers over the past eight weeks. The students, guided by the OSH officers carried out safety and health inspections at Schools, Police Stations, Construction Sites, and several business places located in Georgetown, regions 3, 4 and 5.
Other areas of focus were investigation of accidents, report writing, taking OSH complaints, registration of workplaces Industrial Establishments and working at the recent Mining Exhibition.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Hamilton stated that the ministry’s OSH department is growing and seeks to hire up to thirty (30) persons for occupational safety and health. He added that the employment figure has grown from nine (9) staffing bodies within the OSH department in 2020.
“We are on the road to development and covered 50 percent of persons to be appointed. It is mandatory that the citizens pay attention to occupation and safety since the country’s industrial sector is developing. Occupational Safety and Health is not a job person can just take and leave; it is a job that the law dictates. So, to those who are interested and will be completing the University of Guyana, it is important that this is understood.” Minister Hamilton.
Hamilton also mentioned that it is important that the University of Guyana move away from the failure of pushing only theoretical training and prepare their students for practical internships through the collaboration of Government Ministries and agencies; this, he said, will produce well-rounded graduates, both qualified and experienced.
At the small ceremony, the students also shined some light on the beneficial aspect of the programme implemented by the ministry, which fully prepares them for their future careers in Environmental Health.
