Pregnant mother graduated from BIT
– 37 other Sophia youths graduates
The Ministry of Labour’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT) celebrated the graduation of yet another 38 persons in various courses at the Sophia Training Centre in Greater Georgetown.
The graduates received their certificates on Friday and to applaud their efforts, both the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports were present.
Dipaula Hunte was one of the graduates who stood out because she was determined to complete the course in electrical installation despite being pregnant and fairly close to giving birth.
Hunte told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that “it was just something that I saw and wanted to do. I know nothing about electrical installation so I just decided to pick it up as a new skill,” the expecting mother said.
Hunte who works at the Campbellville Post Office noted that she would always find the time in the afternoons after work to attend the classes.
The woman is expected to give birth within a matter of days. She described the journey as challenging but encouraged other Guyanese to utilise the opportunities that are being offered by the government.
“The journey was not easy, but it was worth it. I enjoyed it because it is always good to learn something new and be engaged in something that you are interested in,” Hunte told DPI.
Another graduate, Jeremy Goodman, said that the welding and fabrication course was quite an experience and not what he expected. However, he is happy that he endured the hard times that he encountered, as he is one step closer to achieving his dream.
“The first thing I had to face was the heat and then the glare. But the course overall was really fun because it was interesting to learn different methods and I am grateful that BIT has allowed me the opportunity to learn more,” the young expressed.
Goodman urged other young men to take the leap of faith and upskill themselves because, in the end, it will always work out for their own good.
Meanwhile, Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton disclosed that his ministry has trained some 143 persons in the Sophia area over the past four years.
“This includes 79 males and 64 females. It was done at a cost of $11.5 million. In fact, over the four years, we have trained over 12,700 people across this country of which 61 per cent are women,” the minister said.
He charged the youths of Sophia to continue to pursue a better life so that they could live a in comfort.
Other graduates received their certificates in courses such as information technology and plumbing. Some of the courses commenced in April and June, and ended in August and October.