28 certified in fibre-optic installation
(Seated at centre) Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton; (seated second from left) BIT’s CEO, Richard Maughn and other officials flanked by the individuals certified in Fibre Optic Installation
(Seated at centre) Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton; (seated second from left) BIT’s CEO, Richard Maughn and other officials flanked by the individuals certified in Fibre Optic Installation

TWENTY-EIGHT individuals are now internationally certified in Fibre Optic Installation after successfully completing a comprehensive training programme facilitated by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

The graduation ceremony was held recently at the Ministry of Labour and saw the attendance of Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, BIT’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Maughn, BIT’s Human Resource Officer, Melinda Kelly, JD Carn ICT Guyana Incorporated, Country Manager, Sherissa Phillips, among other officials.

Minister Hamilton, in brief remarks, told the graduates that their succession will now allow them to play a role in government’s plans to modernize the country’s telecommunication infrastructure to provide reliable connectivity to all Guyanese.

He said that while the programme was deemed quite expensive to provide, it is imperative to create skilled personnel to be a part of the country’s economically flourishing sector. A vision he is grateful that BIT could drive through collaboration with JD Carn Guyana ICT.

Since taking up office as Minister of Labour in August 2020, the Ali-led Administration outlined its intention to better the country’s telecommunication sector to provide improved cell and internet services, which led to the telecommunication sector being liberalized from Guyana’s once dominating Telecommunication Company, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT).

BIT’s CEO, Richard Maughn, thanked the graduates for participating in the training programme and completing it, as it demonstrates their seriousness in being involved in the country’s development. He urged them to use this opportunity to make a difference in the country by mentoring other willing parties, much like what BIT and JD Carn Guyana ICT was able to do for them.

Maughn noted that the programme is quite costly for the agency. However, himself and the labour minister saw the need to facilitate the programme since it opened a wide array of opportunities for those who did not think it was possible due to their financial standing.

According to the Ministry of Labour, JD Carn Guyana ICT agency started collaborating with the BIT in 2020, and during the period 2020-2021, trained a total of 32 persons, who graduated in ETA Fibre Optic Install programme. However, the physically demanding programme mostly saw male graduates and the agency is now calling on females to join classes, since it is financially rewarding within the Information Technology (IT) and Telecom agencies.

The Labour Ministry noted that JD Carn is not just a training agency but also caters to its graduates’ securing employment with major telecommunication companies in Guyana, whether sub-contract or permanently.

Out of the 32-BIT graduates, 16 were engaged for employment placements. However, eight went on to further studies and the other eight were gainfully employed as Technicians, Splicers and Service Delivery Technicians at leading IT companies such as, JD Carn, GTT and the Guyana Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Fibre Optic Backbone.

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