Over 3,000 persons benefitted from BIT administered skills training in 2021

The Ministry of Labour’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT), in 2021 trained 3,086 persons in various skilled areas, in keeping with the technical and workforce needs of the country.

Of that number, 120 persons were trained and certified in Region One; 250 in Region Two; 328 in Region Three; 1,434 in Region Four; 145 in Region Five; 454 in Region Six; 80 in Region Seven; 85 in Region Eight; and 190 in Region 10.

Training programmes for Region Nine are still ongoing and are expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2022, after which 40 trainees will be certified.

BIT’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Maughn revealed that training was delivered in over 100 skilled areas through the agency’s National Training Programme for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE) programme. Some $265.3 M was expended on the programme.

Additionally, training programmes targeted other groups, including convicted persons, retirees, persons with disabilities and Community Support Officers (CSO) in Amerindian communities.  

During 2021, BIT commenced the establishment of regional offices to support effective development through vocational education and training that is regionally driven.

This resulted in the agency receiving a plot of land from the Mahdia Mayor and Town Council, Region Eight, to establish an office and training complex, while a building was provided for the establishment of a labour and BIT office in Springlands Corentyne, Region Six.

A Memorandum of Agreement was also signed between BIT and the Kwakwani Neighbourhood Democratic Council to utilise the library situated at Kwakwani Park, as a temporary office for BIT.

The training agency also saw a 67 per cent increase in Technical Officers to facilitate the implementation of training programmes in Regions One, Two, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten. 

As part of a wider strategy to provide the skilled labour necessary to drive Guyana’s economy, the Ministry of labour, through BIT undertook a comprehensive review of the TVET sub-sector.

BIT provides apprenticeship training in keeping with its mandate as enshrined in the Industrial Training Act. Last year, the government allocated $439.8 million to BIT for training.