Hundreds of Region 6 residents to access BIT training this year

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, MP, revealed that some $33 million will be expended to upskill human resources in Region Six, through the ministry’s-Board of Industrial Training (BIT) programme.

The minister announced that a remedial programme has also been established to assist persons in English and Mathematics. The minister made the revelation during several community engagements along the Corentyne coast on Monday.

“The focus is on people who might have left school earlier than they should have. We have in the programme a remedial programme that we do for two to three weeks, English and Mathematics because if we train you to do fabrication and welding you have to know how to pull a tape, you have to know inches and foot, we do also basic English classes.”

This year BIT will be offering technical and vocational training (TVET) to over 300 residents in the region. This comes as a result of the unprecedent growth experienced as the country moves into the oil and gas economy.

BIT offers a wide variety of training courses ranging from heavy- duty equipment, welding, and garment construction, and is tailored to the demographic need of a community. These programmes are accessible to both genders from age 16, free of cost.

During the outreach, Minister Hamilton encouraged community leaders to provide training programmes in addition to the ones already being offered that can aid in residents’ and the community’s development.

“We go as far as to practically have you recommend to us a trainer from your village so that when we pay persons some of the money will stay in the village. We look to you to say to us these are the best types of programmes that we think will help young people to develop themselves.”

Additionally, the minister outlined a number of initiatives rolled out by the ministry such as the ‘job bank’ which will facilitate easy employment for persons graduating from BIT programmes, as well as other citizens.  The online platform is comprehensible and creates an avenue for prospective employees to interact with employers before an interview.

The outreach in Bond Yard, Port Mourant, Manchester and Alness was part of a ministerial outreach aimed at providing on-the-ground resolutions to issues to improve the livelihood of citizens.