–Min Trotman predicts at launch of novel capacity-building programme

MINISTER of Natural Resources Mr Raphael Trotman made an unusual prediction on Friday, to the effect that Guyana will soon rise again, this time from the east, in the County of Berbice.

The occasion was the launch of the Industry-Skills Training Enhancement (IN-STEP) programme at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)’s Training Centre at Port Mourant in East Berbice.

As the minister observed in his short presentation, “We are here as a government, the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Natural Resources to help you. I can say to you that in a few short months, oil will be produced in this country.
“It may seem like a pipe dream; it may seem like something that is impossible.

Four hundred years ago, it was sugar; in a few months, it will be petroleum! And this County, as sure as the sun rises in the east, it is not going to be left behind; Guyana will rise from Berbice, and that is why we have decided to prepare you for the first such training programme in the entire country.”

The programme at reference, IN-STEP, is intended to build capacity by retraining former sugar workers and residents of Berbice with alternative skills, thereby increasing their eligibility to be reintegrated into the job market and to land jobs in the oil and gas sector.
The contract to effect it, to the tune of $4.5M, was signed on Friday by Manager of the GuySuCo Training Centre, Mr Jainarine Sookpaul and the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Speaking at the signing on behalf of Minister of Agriculture, Mr Noel Holder was Corporate Communications Manager, Ms Audreyanna Thomas who said that in response of the changes of the industry, a Sustainable and Resilience Communities Programme was developed to provide support to former GuySuCo employees, their families, and members of the communities in which the company’s four estates are located, namely in Wales, Rose Hall, Enmore and Skeldon.

The objective of the programme, she said, is to essentially develop a framework and implement a well-structured programme to ensure that ex-employees, their families and residents from these communities are able to cope and adjust and even become stronger while the transition is taking place and beyond.
She said that the launching of IN-STEP on Friday is evidence of the successful partnership between the Ministry of Natural Resources and GuySuCo to re-skill ex-employess; to give them skills to prepare them for alternative employment while at the same time upskilling residents in Region 6.

“The involvement of your ministry is a key example of rerouting resources from other industries which are performing better, to support industries which are not doing well,” Thomas said.
The programme, which is being done in collaboration with, and certified by, the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) is 120 hours in duration, and is being offered on Fridays and Saturdays for twelve weekends.

According to GTC/PM’s Mr Sookpaul they have had an overwhelming response to the programme thus far, and that of the over 150 applications they’ve received, they were able to select 100 to be part of the first batch.
Among those, both male and female, that have made the cut, he said, are retrenched workers, school dropouts, un-employed youths.

The courses being offered are: Basic welding and fabrication; electrical installation; motor vehicle service and repair; and refrigeration.
The training allows participants to move on to the Upper Corentyne and New Amsterdam Technical Institute to further enhance their skills.

Sookpaul also noted that the GTC/PM and GuySuCo will reach out to the private sector to seek possible employment for those participating in the programme.
Also present at the launching ceremony were BIT Chairman, Mr Clinton Williams and Asssitant Chief Education Officer, Mr Patrick Chinedu.