More youths, single parents complete BIT training
On Thurday last the third graduation ceremony for recipients of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) was held in Essequibo, Region 2 where the late chairman of the BIT, Rev. Dr. Dale Bisnauth was born.
The ceremony which was held at the Essequibo Technical Institute saw about 50 people graduating from the Single Parent programme and the National Training Programme for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE). In the NTYPE programme 17 youths were placed in various programmes including mechanic, cosmetology, electronics, joinery, health care assistant and medical records clerk. Fifteen of them successfully completed their programmes.
One of the youths who received training at the Barama Company receiving his certificate from the Human Resource Manager of the company.
With regards to the single parent component, 21 women were engaged and successfully completed their training which seeks to make them more viable to enter the world of work, support their families and contribute to national development.
Ten other youths who participated in the programme were unable to attend the graduation because they have already commenced further training through courses offered by the Ministry of Health.
The Barama Company has been the most recent organization to join hands with the BIT to provide technical training to youths. Five of the youths in the NTPYE programme were attached to the company; four of them completed their tenure and Barama has indicated its desire to employ them.
Conceived by former President Bharrat Jagdeo in 2005, NTPYE aims at giving unemployed youths a second chance to secure a future. Some of the disciplines covered are mechanic, health care assistant, welder/ fabricator, clerk, catering, cosmetology, joinery and vehicular graphic design. With effect from January 2013, a driver/salesman course was added to the programme.
The newest batch of Single Parents who benefited from training through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).
The trainees were also exposed to life skills training in areas such as basic mathematics, English language, micro enterprise, sexual and reproductive health/ gender based violence.
BIT offers six months of free training for persons aged 16-20 years for all the courses and for Heavy Duty Operators in the 18-35 years age range.
Some of the other available training opportunities for youths include the Community Action Component of the Citizens Security Programme of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training (YEST) and President Youth Award: Republic of Guyana (PYARG); all of which form part of the fundamental principles of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration to ensure equitable access to education by all its citizens, and account for over 30 percent of the National Budget.