192 Region Six residents undergoing several BIT training programmes
One hundred ninety-two residents of Region Six are currently undergoing several technical and vocational skill training programmes being offered by the Ministry of Labour’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT).
Some 85 persons are being trained in the heavy-duty equipment operation training programme at the New Amsterdam Training Institute (NATI).
Another 107 persons are being trained in various skill areas including welding and fabrication, electrical installation, motor vehicle repairs, air conditioning and refrigeration repairs at the GuySuCo Training Centre.
While conducting visits to ongoing training programmes at several regional training centres earlier this week, Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton urged the participants to take advantage of the training opportunities.
“You will have here shore base, expansion of wharf, and those kinds of things are going to happen here. Sometimes, people ask, ‘How do I fit into all this oil and gas they are talking about?’ Right now, what you are training to do will allow you to fit in,” the minister noted.
These courses are tailored to meet the geographical needs of the regions to build the human resource capacity while addressing the deficiencies that exist in the labour force.
Minister Hamilton stated, “Nobody is left out or will be left out. We have done programmes over the three years in every region…We will continue to do this in conjunction with our sister agencies.”
The training programmes include a community development component that enables participants to showcase and use their community-building abilities.
The ministry has added two components to the heavy-duty equipment operation training curriculum this year, to meet the needs of communities and he explained.
Between 2022 and 2023, BIT has trained 1,675 persons in Region Six with regions where specific activities are being enabled such as agriculture. The tractor and forklift operation programmes are among those introduced.
“So, now when a person comes into the programme, it gives them a wider scope to participate in different sectors based on the training,”
different skill sets. Upon completion, participants received a licensed and accredited certificate.
Only last Monday, the ministry partnered with the Ministry of Finance’s Basic Needs Trust Fund to launch the heavy-duty equipment operation training course, where over 240 persons are being trained.