Government continues to focus heavily on developing its apprenticeship programme to meet the demands of the expanding oil and gas and other sectors.
Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton recently noted that government continues to work assiduously to upskill the nation’s human resources to meet these demands.
Last year, approximately 173 apprentices were placed at the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).
Back in January, BIT granted licenses as master apprenticeship centres to the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation and Guyanese Manganese Incorporated.
Minister Hamilton underlined, “And we are working with more to make apprenticeship masters. We are discussing with many other companies, the oil and gas companies. Welding in oil and gas is more elevated than the ordinary welding, you will train people for them to gain that type of experience and develop themselves. We are already having conversations with them about placing persons there as apprentices at the facilities.”
This will help the persons to develop the requisite skills to participate in the oil and gas industry.
To this end, persons can register on the job bank’s website and upload their certificates.
Many persons already have been able to access jobs via the job board.
Minister Hamilton highlighted that, for the first time in the history of Guyana, BIT will be establishing and constructing training facilities.
Several training centres will be constructed and rehabilitated with all of the technical capabilities this year.
A training centre will be constructed in New Amsterdam and Corriverton in Region Six, while a massive facility will be constructed in Bartica.
“We have an idea to utilise a building that we refurbished in Unity. The idea is for people who already have a skill, we will upskill them for them to be certified and accredited,” the labour minister explained.
Technical officers of BIT are assigned to each region to facilitate, coordinate and collaborate with various groups that make requests for training programmes to be conducted in their communities.
There are three technical officers in Region Nine to service the region due to the size of the region, while two officers are assigned to Region Six.
Labour officers and other officers are available in every region with the exception of Region Eight.
Minister Hamilton added, “We have training being done with Amerindian village councils and municipal councils. We do not go into communities and try to make wheels because they have wheels already exist there. And we utilise them and whatever facility exists.”
The ministry also collaborates with churches across the country for training to be done.
BIT continues to ensure Guyanese in every region are provided with the necessary support to be employed or become entrepreneurs.
The technical and vocational training programmes are tailored to accommodate the demands for skills in various sectors.
