NINETY-ONE trainees from across five occupational areas graduated from the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) programmes in Lethem, Region Nine, on Wednesday, as the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning continued its investment in skills development and workforce training across the Rupununi.
The graduates, comprising 43 males and 48 females, completed training in Commercial Food Preparation, Information Technology, Electrical Installation, Welding and Fabrication, and Heavy-Duty Equipment Operation. The programmes represent an investment of $8.3 million.
The graduation ceremony was held at the Business Incubation Centre at Bon Success, Lethem, and featured addresses by representatives of the regional administration, the BIT and Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith.
In his charge to the graduating class, BIT Chief Executive Officer Richard Maughn urged the trainees to focus on developing genuine competence, character and discipline as they move into the world of work, entrepreneurship or further education.
“A certificate may open a door, but it is your competence, character, discipline and willingness to keep learning that will keep that door open,” Maughn told the graduates.
He encouraged them not to become satisfied with merely appearing qualified, but to continue developing the knowledge, skills, judgement and discipline necessary to perform effectively.
Maughn also urged the graduates to accept correction, assess themselves honestly and carry out their work with safety, integrity and pride.
“Whether you enter employment, create your own business, or continue your education, let the quality of your work speak for you,” he said.
The graduation forms part of a broader skills-training programme that has reached more than 1,200 beneficiaries across Region Nine since 2020.
According to BIT data, the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning, through the Board of Industrial Training, has engaged 1,227 beneficiaries in 72 projects across the region between 2020 and 2026, representing an investment of $124.9 million.
Of those beneficiaries, 503 were males and 724 were females, while a further 228 trainees are currently undergoing training in Central Lethem and other locations across Region Nine.
The 91-member graduating class includes 16 trainees in Commercial Food Preparation, 22 in Information Technology, 13 in Electrical Installation, 15 in Welding and Fabrication, and 25 in Heavy-Duty Equipment Operation.
Maughn said the graduates are now part of the continuing investment being made in people and communities across Region Nine.
“Go forward not merely as graduates, but as skilled men and women prepared to contribute, serve and build,” he said.
