–stakeholders sign two agreements to train youths and retired officers

THE Ministry of Labour and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), on Tuesday, signed two agreements, which will set the basis for training of youths in vulnerable communities and retired officers of the force.

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, said that the youth-focused agreement is intended to equip persons with skills and knowledge to become employable or entrepreneurs.

The GPF’s presence, he said, is needed as the force has already established relationships with vulnerable communities to assist the ministry in identifying social issues.

A similar programme has been held in the Kaneville community which is located behind the Grove Housing Scheme, on the East Bank of Demerara.

“We are attempting to have a holistic arrangement among the Ministry of labour, BIT [Board of Industrial Training] and the police force. Two aspects the MoUs revolve around… the training and reskilling of persons in troubled communities in conjunction with the police force and the Ministry of Labour, Board of Industrial Training that will be involved,” Minister Hamilton said.

Those who complete this training will then be given the opportunity to utilise the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency.

Beyond training programmes, the second agreement would allow the ministry’s Co-op Department to partner with the police force to strengthen the duties of its co-operative society to secure the members’ interests.

“It will deal with how the co-op department co-operates with the police as they have a co-op society or I should say a credit union and, so that is the kind of relationship we want to develop going forward,” Minister Hamilton said.

This long-term collaboration, the minister said, is in keeping with efforts to provide training to citizens to create a skilled workforce to assist in the country’s development.

Acting Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken, said that the partnership was aligned with the force’s 2022-2026 strategic plan, which is aimed at creating a more skilled and professional police force.

“We attempt to use what is available to us in terms of skill set, and we call it vocational training skill. Whenever we go into the community, we are preparing them for the field of work and so this by itself will add value to the community,” Hicken said.

He added: “[This initiative] is going to change the concept of the press and stigma and so it will encourage youths to be focused on more important issues that they can be involved in that can develop Guyana.”

About 12 policing districts will play a role in this initiative.

The public will also be kept informed of which community will be benefitting from the training initiative via a monthly report.

A foundation will also be established to create a more transparent and sustainable way for the youths to benefit. Funded by the private sector, it will comprise members of co-operative societies, and the media fraternity among other prominent community figures.

Hicken said that officers will also benefit from the training programmes to assist in the maintenance of their machinery.

Additionally, the Labour Ministry is exploring options to provide Occupational Safety and Health training to officers to address work-related deaths and incidents. (DPI)