Region One gets 20 new engine technicians

Twenty residents from Sebai and Canal Bank in the Matarkai sub-district, Region One, have now been certified as small engine technicians, enabling them to earn a fairly decent income.

A total of 10 individuals from each community completed the four-month training programme which was facilitated by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

Each graduate was presented with a toolkit to support their entrepreneurial endeavours.

They expressed gratitude to the government for making the course available. The goal is to empower individuals and improve their livelihood.

One of the graduates, Nickisha Sampson, said that she had no knowledge of engine repair before participating in the programme.

“I learnt a lot from the training. It’s a great experience. You had to put a lot of effort and time into it. I didn’t know a lot about these things,” she said. 

Another graduate, Shelonie Emmanuel, said she “gained a lot. Before the training, I didn’t know anything about small engine repair. It will benefit me in a lot of ways because I could actually help myself to repair small engine.”  

Wayna Oselmo, who also graduated from the programme, highlighted the importance of having this particular skill and said that local boat owners can now access mechanical services locally.

“It will benefit a lot. [They] won’t have to go out to other people who might charge them more since we could charge them less,” he said.

At the graduation ceremony which was held last Friday at the Sebai Primary School, Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, stressed the significance of providing educational opportunities for Guyanese, especially given the increasing demand for skilled labour across various sectors.

“Development is by educating people, bringing opportunities to them and that is what this government has successfully done,” the minister said.

He also encouraged the graduates to take advantage of additional training programmes, allowing them to become multiskilled and diversify their capabilities in the evolving job market.

Since 2020, BIT has trained 564 individuals, including 376 females and 188 males. To date, a total of 12,472 individuals have gained technical skills across the country.

The event was also attended by BIT’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Maughn; Regional Vice-Chairperson Annansha Peters, and other technical officers from the Ministry of Labour.