Skills training programmes introduced to Orealla, Siparuta

Minister of Labour, Hon. Joseph Hamilton recently engaged residents of Orealla and Siparuta on opportunities for skills training programmes under the Ministry’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

During an engagement at Orealla Benab at the weekend, Minister explained that BIT is mandated to provide technical and vocational training programmes geared at empowering citizens to enter the workforce. BIT offers more than 80 programmes in various skilled areas. 

“All the programmes we do are free of cost; no one pays to train in any area under the Board of Industrial Training,” Minister Hamilton told the residents, 

Orealla, an Amerindian village located about 50 miles from Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Berbice, is involved in subsistence farming and logging. The village, and its satellite, Siparuta, is managed by a Village Council.

Minister Hamilton said the Village Council could form a group of a maximum of 20 persons and request training based on the skill needs of the village. Training can be done in agriculture, forestry, business management, and domestic training such as catering and garment construction. 

The village can also benefit from newly introduced programmes, including ICT and the solar panel repair programmes. Community Support Officers (CSOs) will also be receiving training through a collaboration with the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs. 

Minister Hamilton said Orealla and its neighbouring village have significant tourism potential, and training could be provided in that area. He also urged the village to form a committee, register, create, package and market their tourism potential. 

As far as practicable, Minister Hamilton said the trainers must be recruited from the village, and the Village Council must recommend them. 

“If we are training young men here in small engine repairs, I would hope that you have somebody that is competent that can do it, and we will pay them to do it. Training women to sew, I would prefer if you have a seamstress in the village who can do that so that the money that we pay trainers will remain in Orealla.”

The BIT provided technical and vocational training to some 2,000 people last year, and that number will increase to over 3,500 this year. The Ministry has already appointed BIT officers to every region, who would be working with residents to craft training programmes based on the needs of their communities

CEO of BIT, Mr. Richard Maughn, Region Six BIT Officer, Mrs. Tina Ghansham, the Ministry’s Attorney-at-Law, Ms. Anansa Swain, Region Six Labour Officer, Mr. Emanuel Ramdhial, OSH Officer Mr. Darwin Bourne and Co-operative Officer, Mr. Jason Gladstone were also on the outreach.