– 50 graduate from BIT programme

By Naomi Marshall

MORE than 50 persons graduated from the Social Protection Ministry’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT) programme as the Government continues to empower and provide opportunities for the young people of the country.

The graduates were trained in the areas of Heavy Duty Equipment Operation and Apiculture. The training courses were facilitated by the Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport – Youth Empowerment Unit, in collaboration with BIT.
The graduation ceremony was held last Thursday at the Madewini Training Centre on the Linden, Soesdyke Highway, and saw 25 persons being certified in the area of Apiculture, while 32 persons, including two females, were certified in the area of heavy duty equipment utilization, after successfully completing the courses.

In providing an overview of the two courses, the Youth Empowerment Unit’s Assistant Director of Economic Empowerment, Samuel Saul, explained that the courses were designed to equip young people with the requisite knowledge and skills needed to gain employment or become entrepreneurs.

He detailed that the apiculture course lasted ten days, while the heavy duty machine course ran for a period of three months.

According to Saul, participants of both courses, who came from Regions Four, Five, Six and Seven, were exposed to practical and theoretical work, including basic life skills, English Language, Mathematics and Financial Literacy.

“We believe that while you acquire the skills and you want to get into business, it is important that you have an idea in terms of managing your finances and so that is why we ensure that we have incorporated in these programmes, aspects of that nature,” Saul explained.

Meanwhile, Richard Maughn, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Board of Industrial Training, highlighted that BIT is responsible for the quality assurance of skills training within Guyana and has implemented many programmes of this nature in the past.
Maughn added that, for the period January 2019- September 2019, more than 2000 persons have already been engaged in vocational training programmes.
He stated that the world is changing due to automation; however, with innovation, there is a need for creative minds.

“It is about how you can think outside the box that will help you to maintain growing and be relevant in a changing society. You need to be able to learn each day and learn to fit into the changing demand of work within the society so that you can continue to take care of your livelihood and that of your family and people who are close to you,” Maughn noted.

In addition, Maughn announced that participants of the heavy duty machine training will now be able to participate in an excavator operation course at the Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC).

Leslyn Boyce-Garraway, Assistant Director of Youth, charged the youths to make a positive impact within their communities and by extension, the entire country.

“I charge you to practise and develop the skills you have acquired. The training you have received here will be useless if you do not translate it into action. Make every effort to find out all you can about your new skill and seek to master it. Learn new and innovative ways of doing things. Keep yourself informed about new developments in your field,”she urged.
Noel Isaacs, of Land of Canaan on the East Bank of Demerara, participated in the Apiculture training. According to him, it was informative and has placed him one step closer to achieving his dream of being an apiculturist.

“I really wanted to learn beekeeping since age 19 but I didn’t have the opportunity. I started off with 3 hives but now I have 14 hives because of the training which was very good,” Isaacs told Guyana Chronicle.