–Minister Hamilton says

THE rapid growth of the local economy has resulted in an increased demand for innovation in every area, especially labour, where new skills are required to drive development in new and diversified sectors.

To ensure that Guyanese are well equipped to satisfy this demand, the Ministry of Labour is constantly upgrading the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) to include new and innovative programmes, Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, said during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

The minister said, holistically, the ministry’s aim is to elevate the training programmes beyond the traditional areas.
He related that in the welding and fabrication programme, while they will be able to train persons and upgrade their skills to participate in welding in the oil and gas sector, trainees will need to be introduced to metal work engineering so they could do the designing of products.

“Perhaps intertwining IT in this matter, because now doing that work, a lot of information technology includes designing… the furniture that now is in style, is a fusion of steel and wood, so how do you run a programme, taking that into consideration?” Hamilton said.

Further, he highlighted that, in areas such as garment construction, he believes that trainees should be more exposed to innovative designing to further enhance their skillset.
Those are some of the considerations on the table, as the ministry continues to explore new ways to enhancing local labour force.

Next week, a new training programme will be launched for Guyana Power and Light (GPL) technicians in fibre optic installation and repairs.

Notably, Minister Hamilton revealed that they have commenced the construction of a number of training facilities across the country. And, according to a breakdown of those projects, one is being constructed in Region Four at Unity, and two in Region Six, while the facilities at Annai and Lethem, Region Nine, are being upgraded.

Additionally, funds were budgeted for the construction of a training facility in Region Three at Canal Number One.
He said: “One of the ideas is to do that project jointly with the First Lady’s Foundation. And then in Region One, a new building is to be built in Port Kaituma. Land is to be allocated there for technical training. So that is new.”

Additionally, Minister Hamilton said that collaborations for training opportunities with other ministries, government agencies and the private sector organisations will also be pursued throughout this year to equip Guyanese with the necessary skills to do their jobs.

Over the past three years, BIT has certified about 11,275 persons in various areas. The agency offers a range of courses, including fibre optic installation, building construction, boat building, welding and fabrication, cosmetology, electrical installation, heavy-duty equipment operation, early childhood development, and commercial food preparation, among others.