A CADRE of 339 persons from Region Four, mainly youths, graduated from the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE) programme offered through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

The young people have received Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in various competencies and will be seeking to apply these skills to the job sector.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony held at the National Cultural Centre (NCC), Minister of State Joseph Harmon said, “TVET has been an integral part of national development in many societies worldwide, and some have even argued that it is one of the key elements of national development.”

According to him, TVET is a specialised form of education that is designed to a cadre of middle-level workers who are essential to the creation and development of the industrial sector of society.
“It enables them to acquire skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to develop professional careers and contribute meaningfully to the world of work, either as employees or as entrepreneurs,” he said.

TVET, according to him, also guarantees the availability of skill sets in the labour force that help to create a vibrant, attractive labour force which would enable countries to compete for direct foreign investment and stimulate persons’ economic growth.
As such, he underscored that the Government of Guyana (GoG) is placing much importance on TVET.

“The importance of a highly trained workforce, especially at the middle level, is essential and at the highest importance in light of our impending prospects for rapid economic growth and development,” Harmon related.

He noted that the implementation of the national vision in pursuit of the establishment of a green economy and a ‘green’ state would only be realised if the country has the required manpower with the requisite skills to do so.

It is for this reason that government has ensured that the technical and vocational institutes are all receiving great attention. And these efforts to enhance the quality of education offered by these institutions will continue, he affirmed.

The BIT is no different, according to Harmon who highlighted that government has been giving much attention to the body and will continue to do so.
In 2018, BIT trained in excess of 1600 persons throughout the 10 Administrative Regions of Guyana. And the minister of state was reliably informed that in 2019, this number will increase to about 2000.

These persons should not only find employment but should seek out ways of creating employment too, the minister said. “Unemployment is a constant concern for government and while it is recognised that government has a role to play to attract investment and to provide an enabling environment for job creation, I believe that young people have a role to play to create employment for themselves and others.”

Each of the various areas the students were trained in is “pregnant” with business opportunities and as such, he urged the graduates to not only become employed but to create businesses where they can work to employ others.

And government is striving to facilitate the creation of small and micro enterprises, according to him, particularly through efforts like the Small Business Procurement programme through which 20 per cent of all government procurement contracts go to small businesses.

The government has also allocated $1B to youth development in the 2019 National Budget, which will fuel several programmes geared to promote small businesses by providing funding to youth who devise feasible business plans.
Regional Chairperson of Region Four, Genevieve Allen, also addressed the issues of poverty and employment.

According to her, the training offered is an example of opportunities being afforded to young people.
However, she urged: “I want to say to you young Guyanese that you use your skills to develop Guyana and you continue to be as patriotic as you are, because this country is on the course of great development and it is dependent upon you all.”

Too often persons only think about themselves, Allen noted and stressed: “Government invested in you to develop skills and now you must use these skills to develop Guyana.”

She also urged them to further their education, more so since the country would need qualified persons in the emerging petroleum sector and encouraged them to form groups where they can work together to establish small industries that would employ other young people as the country works towards reducing unemployment.