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Labour Ministry facilitates employment of scores
With funding from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Ministry of Labour during the course of this year engaged a programme aimed at bolstering students’ school attendance.
This strategic programme, according to Minister of Labour, Dr. Nanda Gopaul, has been focused on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway where there were reports of a number of school drop outs.
Dr. Nanda Gopaul, Minister of Labour
Characterised by availing a hot meal and transportation to students, the programme was instrumental in realising a dramatic improvement in children’s attendance particularly those from far-flung areas, reported Dr. Gopaul.
“We experimented on this programme and we saw a dramatic improvement of students going to school. In other words, because we are picking them up from the far flung areas as well as providing for them a meal.”
Outlining the venture as significant, Dr. Gopaul disclosed that the programme has thus far extended from Silver Hill to Soesdyke and has yielded nothing less than significant results. He expressed satisfaction that the attendance has in fact surpassed expectations.
Turning his attention to training, Dr. Gopaul said that the Board of Industrial Training has recorded an increase in apprentices desirous of pursuing long term apprenticeship programmes. He revealed that during the course of this year a total of 67 youths registered to commence training at various apprenticeship institutions including the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Port Mourant, training through the Guyana Power and Light Corporation and the Guyana National Industrial Shipping Corporation.
These institutions, according to the Labour Minister, are main training institutions for the long term apprenticeship programme.
According to the Minister, too, a total of 65 apprentices were certified this year in several areas including: instrument, repair mechanic, heavy duty mechanic, industrial electrician, auto electrician, fitter machinist, sugar boilers and welder fabrication.
“These are the specialised apprenticeship programmes with a duration of between three to five years…so they are highly trained in these fields and we have been able to put 65 competent people in the world of work,” said Dr. Gopaul.
The 67 apprentices who have been registered are set to pursue training in the same fields and according to the Minister, he anticipates that over the next five years a similar amount are likely to be trained.
According to Dr. Gopaul, there has also been a shorter level of single parent training where 412 places were offered and resulted in 386 trainees pursuing programmes in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven and Ten. These training programmes are available in the areas of cosmetology, catering, garment construction, child care, care for the elderly, heavy duty equipment operator, driver/salesmen and information technology.
Under training for national youth employment, the Labour Minister disclosed that a programme which was launched some five years ago has since been able to facilitate the training of more than 1,000 individuals in varying disciplines.
These included: health sector, engineering, hospitality, information technology and clerical, forestry and mining among others.
The programme, according to Minister Gopaul, is intended to target out of school youths who were not able to benefit from complete secondary education. “We thought of getting them involved in training and making them marketable for work. We are happy that a large percentage of these persons have entered the world of work,” said Dr. Gopaul.
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