THE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), Richard Maughn, on Sunday delivered an invigorating speech to BIT graduates at the Essequibo Islands Secondary School in Wakenaam, Region Three.

Celebrating this significant milestone in the lives of the 40 determined and capable individuals, Maughn said that 18 persons completed training in electrical installation, 13 in welding and fabrication and nine in auto-mechanics.

The BIT head said, “Each of you has embraced the opportunity to learn, grow, and prepare for meaningful work, and for that, I commend you. This graduation is more than a ceremony; it is a statement. It says that skills matter.”

Maughn explained that these skills matter because they empower individuals to create value, solve real problems and build lives of dignity and independence. He mentioned that in a rapidly changing world, it is not just what you know but what you can do that makes the difference. Skilled individuals, he added, drive innovation, strengthen economies, and uplift communities.
He expressed, “In Guyana’s journey toward sustainable development, skills are not optional, they are essential. That’s why this graduation today is a statement that Guyana is investing in its people, and that you, our graduates are ready to contribute to a changing Guyana, and a changing world.”

Further, he said, “These are not just trades, they are pillars of national development. Whether you’re lighting homes, welding bridges, or repairing engines, your hands will shape our nation’s future.”
He reminded the graduates that the Board of Industrial Training remains committed to empowering Guyanese through skills training, adding that the BIT not only trains and certifies Guyanese, but it helps to transform lives.

Maughn used the opportunity to encourage the graduates to put the discipline, professionalism and pride cultivated through the training to good use, and to keep learning and growing, seizing every opportunity that is offered.
“Make the best use of NOW, because your future is simply a reflection of your nows. What you do today determines where you’ll be tomorrow. Let me leave you with this: make the best use of NOW. NOW stands for Nurture Opportunity Wisely. Every moment, every skill, every connection is an opportunity. How you use it will shape not just where you go, but who you become,” he remarked.

From 2020 to 2025, the government through BIT has engaged some 243 beneficiaries in 21 projects in the Essequibo Islands. A total of $24,195,773.86 was spent.
Of this number, 121 beneficiaries are males and 122 are females.
The various training areas included information technology, garment construction, cosmetology, agro-processing, small-engine repairs, electrical installation, general building construction, welding and fabrication and auto-mechanics.