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Thirty (30) trainees pursuing Care for the Elderly at St. Francis Community Developers in East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six), paid a visit to the Ministry of Labour on Wednesday, September 22, 2021.
Accompanying the trainees were Head of St. Francis Community Developers, Alex Foster, Trainer, Ms. Meshel Williams and Assistant Trainer, Ms. Melina Williams. At the Labour Ministry the team were engaged by Minister of Labour, Hon. Joseph Hamilton and Chief Executive Officer of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), Mr. Richard Maughn.
During the interactive session, the Mr. Foster highlighted a number of successes achieved during the course of the Care for the Elderly programme, which greatly impacted the lives of those who are a part of the training and prospective trainees. He noted, Care for the Elderly is becoming popular within the private health sector and thanks to the Ministry of Labour, Board of Industrial Training, persons can acquire a skill that will be in high demand, over the years to come.
Some of the trainees personally thanked the minister and CEO of BIT, the commitment shown, ensuring young persons are given the opportunity to transform their lives.
In his acceptance speech, the minister said his aim is to provide all the support to ensuring persons across Guyana, become multi-skilled and multi-talented and to back such a move, a Sub Office of the Labour Ministry will be launched in a few weeks in region six to push the work of the Ministry of Labour and the Board of Industrial Training.
Further, he urged the ladies to not limit themselves just to programmes such as, Cosmetology, Catering and Food Preparation, but to venture onto programmes, namely, Heavy Duty Equipment Operation (HDEO), Electrical Installation and other male dominated courses, as a way to generate more income within their households and also become entrepreneurs to contribute to a transforming industrial economy.
It is the first time BIT is collaborating with the St. Francis Community Developers, offering courses in Customer Service and Hospitality, Care for the Elderly and Commercial Food Preparation to thirty (30) trainees, for each respective programme. Trainees are also taught life skills subjects, such as, Mathematics, English Language, Sexual Reproduction and Entrepreneurship before the commencement of practical training.
For 2021, thirty (30) programmes will be delivered to 437 prospective trainees in East Berbice- Corentyne (Region Six), with seventeen (17) percent of the total beneficiaries drawn from the region.
(Board of Industrial Training, Public Relations Department).