–as part of efforts to fill the gaps at Human Services and Social Security Ministry

THE possibility of enhancing the Social Work Programme and Sociology Programme of the University of Guyana (UG) to encompass the work of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, was discussed among stakeholders during a meeting at the ministry, on Tuesday.
Present at the meeting were Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud; Deputy Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Anjanie Ramlall; Senior Lecturer at UG and Sociologist, Andrew Hicks and Coordinator of Post-Graduate Studies in the Department of Sociology, Debbie Hopkinson.
During the meeting, the attendees discussed areas in which the university’s curriculum could be modified in order to equip persons with the necessary skills to fill certain gaps within the ministry.

“We want them to look at areas that are not captured by the current programme so that when someone graduates from UG with the degrees, they can fill some of the existing specialised gaps with regard to children and elderly, among others,” Minister Persaud was quoted as saying.
In looking at a review of the programme, the university lecturers explained that the institution wanted to see how a practical component can be accommodated at the ministry in spite of the COVID-19 restrictions. They also focussed on the licensing of social workers.
The meeting assisted, in a major way, to lay the groundwork for the current Master and Diploma Programmes to be updated in order to be more applicable to the level of work required by the ministry. The possibility of UG facilitating a Social Work Certificate Programme as part of the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) was also explored.
The university has also undertaken to provide training to social workers who are currently in the system and may need to update their knowledge in the field.