Min. Hamilton engages GuySuCo on labour, OSH, training

–offers to recapitalise Port Mourant training centre

Minister of Labour, Hon. Joseph Hamilton says his Ministry, through the Board of Industrial Training, is willing to work with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to re-capitalise its training centre at Port Mourant, Berbice, Region Six. 

Minister Hamilton was engaging the management of GuySuCo on matters relating to labour, Occupational Safety and Health and training at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Tuesday. 

He said the institution could meet the demands for technical and vocational training in the East Berbice-Corentyne Region and across the country. 

“We would hope to sit down, work out an MoU with GuySuCo. We would hope to be allowed along with you to re-capitalise the GuySuCo Training Centre to make it a place it used to be,” he said. 

Minister Hamilton said the institute could also function as a repair centre since there are reports that the Region has a shortage of skilled mechanics to service heavy-duty machinery.  

“How in a Region where they have three technical institutes, you have no mechanics? You have the Berbice BIT, you have the Upper Corentyne, and you have GuySuCo, and yet you have no mechanics in Berbice?

I know GuySuCo has had its difficulties, the whole country knows, the whole world knows, but I’m seeking to offer GuySuCo a way that together, we can resurrect the Port Mourant Training Centre and let it be useful at the highest technical level,” he said. 

The intention, Minister Hamilton said, is to ensure the issue of skills training is addressed holistically across the country. 

“Training is happening all over the place, but in my view, it is disjointed, there is no collaboration, and everybody have their little silo, and if we don’t change that, we can shed how much tears we want about the new industry, and we can’t get into it unless the nation set a framework about technical and vocational training holistically and collectively.” 

The Ministry will be hosting a National Conference on Vocational Education and Employability in May. It will bring together stakeholders to discuss the nation’s current and future training needs, particularly as new industries emerge.