BIT engaging oil, other sectors on skills needs

– to restructure training

The Ministry of Labour’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT) is focusing on designing and reshaping skills training programmes to meet the needs of the petroleum and other sectors.   

Chief Executive Officer of BIT, Mr. Richard Maughn made this disclosure in a recent interview with the Department of Public Information.

He said the agency has met ExxonMobil Guyana to discuss the specific skills, knowledge and other labour needs of the sector.

“There are changes happening within the Guyana landscape as a result of the oil and gas sector, there are new competencies that a worker may need to have in certain specific occupational sectors and we are making sure that our programmes are redesigned to make sure persons can gain employment after they finish training.”

BIT is having similar discussions with the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association and other the private sector agencies, in keeping with the Ministry’s overall goal of ensuring that Guyana has a skilled workforce.

Mr. Maughn anticipates that following these meetings, BIT will have to update its curriculum to meet certain international standards for skills training.

The Board currently offers training in several occupational fields under the National Training Programme for Youth Empowerment and the Single Parent Training Programme. 

In 2021, the agency will be offering programmes for a wider cross-section of persons, including retirees who may be interested in sharing their skills and knowledge or those who may want to learn a new skill.

The BIT provides apprenticeship training in keeping with its mandate as enshrined in the Industrial Training Act.  It has conducted training in more than 150 occupational areas over the past years in keeping with the technical and labour needs of the country.