THE Board of Industrial Training (BIT) continues to pave the way to ensure the livelihoods of Guyanese are improved, countrywide, by offering free technical and vocational training programmes.

BIT can now boast of successfully equipping 215 childcare practitioners with knowledge and skills to effectively care for the nation’s children at the most vital period of their growth, through its competency-based training in early childhood development.

This was highlighted by BIT Human Resource Officer, Melinda Kelly last Wednesday at the Region Four graduation hosted at the National Cultural Centre (NCC).

“The programme is looking forward to adding 135 to this number by the end of June 2023,” Kelly said.

The objective of the programme at reference is to build the professional capacity of childcare professionals.

And, according to Kelly, owing to the many challenges that persons were likely to encounter, “the programme was developed to assist the many childcare practitioners who expressed their desires for knowledge in the field of early childhood development, but were hindered by accessing that knowledge due to financial constraints, since most of the programmes in the field bear a high cost to participate.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton reiterated that all of BIT’s programmes are necessary for preparing persons for the labour force.

“You cannot discuss women going to the workforce and into the world of work, and you don’t have safe spaces with qualified people to take care of their children, so that they will feel comfortable while they are working. You have to have things like daycare and night-care, and you have to get people who are qualified and trained to take care of toddlers and [other] children,” the minister underscored.

The programme’s main goals are to arm childcare professionals with the methods, knowledge, and abilities they need to comprehend how critical it is to foster children’s social, emotional, and motor development, while also educating them and their families.

A variety of techniques were utilised to involve the participants during the training sessions, and as such, it is expected that the knowledge and skills they would have acquired from this professional training programme, which is offered at the post-secondary level in early childhood development, will prepare them to pursue further studies in this field.

Two visually impaired students also participated in the first round of training, and were both able to successfully complete the programme; this was made possible due to the adjustments that were made to accommodate them. Reading materials were emailed, training sessions were recorded and uploaded to the Moodle platforms, and other necessary means were employed to ensure their full participation.

The second year of the programme commenced on October 18, 2021, with 116 students registered.

Participation saw persons from all across the country, with the exception of Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Some 102 students graduated last Wednesday from the childcare programme, which had a pass rate of 88 per cent. The programme was delivered in two semesters.

The President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali-led administration continues to implement various initiatives to ensure that all Guyanese are provided with the requisite technical and vocational skills, which will contribute significantly to their growth, community development, and the country. (DPI)