29 young men complete heavy-duty equipment training course
GINA, GUYANA Wednesday, August 31, 2016
A batch of 29 young men graduated on Tuesday after completing the Heavy Duty Equipment Training Course as skilled operators. The skill these youths have acquired will make them highly marketable, and assets to their respective administrative regions from which they hail.
The course was a collaborative effort by the Board of Industrial Training of the Ministry of Social Protection and the Office of the Presidential Advisor on Youth Empowerment.
The batch of heavy- duty equipment operators pose with officials of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), Office of the Presidential Advisor on Youth Empowerment and Ministers of Social Protection and other officials
Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott, in giving the charge to the graduands said, “You are the one that we look forward to see the future and we are going to depend on you to be the future of Guyana. Once we (the government) can keep our words to the youth, tomorrow you will be the leaders for the new society that Guyana is fast on the way to becoming.”
The skills training programme was aimed at providing the young men with the requisite skills in response to the growing market demand for heavy- duty equipment operators in Guyana.
Adeti DeJesus giving brief remarks at the graduation ceremony for the first batch of students of the heavy-duty equipment training course
Ryan George of Region Four, one of the graduates told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that up to the time of the training, he was an electrician/welder but was not getting jobs. “I was told (that) the more trades you have, its more better for me so for this three months, me and my fellow trainees learnt a lot because we now know how to do service checks on the machines.”
Another graduate who benefitted from the programme, Denzel Smith of Region Three pointed out that, “Before this training, work was hard to get, so I did a lot of part-time work like carpentry. The experience was good, it was a lot of work, but I am glad I came here and did the programme and received my certificate.”
Minister of Social Protection Volda Lawrence who was also present at the graduation explained that, “This initiative had a dual purpose in light of the increased demand for skilled heavy-duty equipment operators, and the scarcity or complete absence of trained operators within the various administrative regions. The intention was to provide opportunity for numerous young people to acquire skills that would make them employable in their respective regions and thereafter to be attached to relevant ministries or transition to other areas to fulfill this need.”
One of the young men display skills learnt during the period of heavy-duty machinery training
The minister further added that the Ministry of Social Protection has been and continues to be aware of the demand for skills, training and education for youths and the need to equip them and provide employment opportunities.
Adeti De Jesus, Research, Planning and Development Officer of the Office of the Presidential Advisor on Youth Empowerment was happy to see the young men graduate. “We saw 29 young men coming on the programme who were to the most extent de-motivated and timid, so this programme has broadened their horizons, not only in providing them training in heavy-duty equipment, but it provided life skill straining, it provided training in basic things such as Maths and English so now that they are leaving here they are more motivated, more confident, and they know what they are about.”
The batch that completed the heavy-duty equipment training course
Tottil Sagon, Training Instructor said he expects these young men to further elevate themselves and to also put their training into practice.
The graduates also demonstrated for the gathering some of the skills they acquired during the training.
The 29 graduates received their certificates at the formal ceremony which was held on Tuesday at the Kuru Kuru Training Centre on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway.