BIT seeking international certification, accreditation for its programme

– Min. Hamilton

Minister of Labour, Hon. Joseph Hamilton said the Ministry’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT) is seeking to have its programmes internationally certified and accredited.

The Minister said the initiative is being done in partnership with the Council for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The objective is to make BIT programmes more competitive and internationally recognised.

On Tuesday, Minister Hamilton visited the villages of Ladern’s Ville, Hururu and Kwakwani located along the Upper Berbice River, Region Ten. The activity was part of an outreach programme to sensitise citizens countrywide about the opportunities for skills training through BIT.

“Guyana, in two years’ time, if you are not certified and accredited you will be a nobody regardless of how much skill you have. So, we have linked up with the TVET Council which have linked up with the Caribbean CTVET to ensure that programmes BIT is certifies and accredited, meaning you can work anywhere,” he told residents at the Ladern’s Ville Community Ground.

Minister Hamilton said currently, BIT offers more than 83 skills training programmes which are accessible to citizens countrywide. These include motor mechanics, plumbing, catering, cake decorating, garment construction, ICT, small engine and solar panel repairs and heavy-duty equipment operation.

However, the Minister explained these programmes were mostly centred in Georgetown and its environs, and was not reaching the far-flung areas. This, he said, will change going forward to ensure the programmes are more inclusive, and accessible to all citizens.

“There are two types of programmes. We train people who don’t have a skill at all, and outside of that they have people who have a skill but what they lack is certification and accreditation…There is no gender specific programmes and there is no age limit to these programmes and there is no qualification to access these programmes.”

Minister Hamilton therefore encouraged the communities to organise themselves into groups with a maximum of 20 persons and request training programmes that are needed within the communities. The facilitators must also be drawn from the respective communities or the region.

Two young men participating in the heavy-duty equipment operation training

A young women participating in the heavy-duty equipment operation training

A resident of Ladern’s Ville raises his concern

Meanwhile, Minister Hamilton visited the Linden Technical Institute, where 36 youths including four young women, are participating in the heavy-duty equipment operation training programme. The students attend classes at different times throughout the day in keeping with the COVID-19 measures.

Minister Hamilton also visited Egbert Benjamin Exhibition and Conference Centre in Mackenzie, Linden where 15 women are participating in catering, and at the Excellence Touch Hair Design Institute in Christianburg, Wismar where another 15 women are pursuing a cosmetology course. Following a request from a previous visit, Minister Hamilton presented hampers to the women from both groups.

Residents attending the meeting at Hururu

Young women participating in the cosmetology course in Linden

Minister of Labour, Hon. Joseph Hamilton hands over a quantity of hampers to the women participating in the catering programme in Linden