Introduction of new policies and practices critical for youth employment

Nov 16, 2013 News

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Although properly trained, youths are the most vulnerable when it comes to gaining and securing decent jobs. This is according to Mr. Aubrey Overton of the Ministry of Education Secondary Competency Certificate Programme who explained that youths can encounter many barriers when they try to enter the work environment, such as a lack of work experience and contacts.
Moreover, he explained that they are often the ones who are dismissed in times of an economic crisis, thereby causing them to be three times more likely than adults to be unemployed.

For this reason, Overton said that there is a need for the introduction of new policies and practices that focus on graduates’ easy transition to the world of work which could increase their chances of gaining immediate, or almost immediate access to decent jobs, and their ability to hold on to their jobs and hence, support poverty reduction.
Overton’s comments were forthcoming on Thursday when he spoke in the capacity of Guest Speaker at the 2013 Graduation Ceremony of the Linden Technical Institute (LTI).
At that forum the achievements of LTI were celebrated including the performances of the graduates which now make them eligible to be strategically plugged into the world of work.
The graduates were from various technical fields including: Radio Electronic Servicing, Electrical Installation, Carpentry and Joinery, International Combustion Engine, Motor Vehicle Works, Welding and Fabrication, Mechanical Fitting, Computer Science, Administrative Principles and Practices, among others.
But according to Overton, without good administration, dedicated lecturers and other staff members who are willing to work hard to make sure that the programmes are properly conducted, a graduation ceremony would not have been possible.
He vocalised his conviction that graduation ceremonies are in fact momentous milestones in every student’s life which gives credence to their dedication during their studies.   He noted that in essence, a graduation is not only indicative of the eventual outcome after “facing and overcoming challenges” but it also represents a ‘rite of passage’ – the coming into being of a new person. “Today we’ve come to witness a significant stage of transition for you the graduands which your parents, guardians and staff of the LTI embarked on two years ago…a transition that will assist in the fulfilment of your dreams and desires,” asserted Overton.
In an innovative move, Overton urged the graduands to stand to their feet and applaud the efforts of those who supported them during their studies. He gave particular emphasis to parents.
According to the Guest Speaker, there is no denying that education plays a key role in determining how an individual would spend his/her adult life even as he noted that exposure to quality education such as that obtained at LTI could prove to be crucial.  Gaining training in technical and vocational education programmes conducted at LTI would mean that the graduating students are better qualified and equipped for life after school, inclusive of acquiring decent jobs and high earnings, Overton theorised. This, according to him, would also allow for them to have high earnings, better health and possibly longer life.
However, he noted that in achieving the level of training that employers seek, there must be removal of obstacles which entails students being properly prepared for employment or further education, which is in fact the mandate of the institution.
LTI was initially established to provide training for the apprentices of the Demerara Bauxite Company. Training at the Institute commenced in 1958 and since then it has undergone a number of managerial and operational changes.
On August 1, 2005, the institute was designated a board run learning institution in accordance with the President’s College Act 1990. The institution can be credited for providing training opportunities, with a major focus on TVET to over 4,000 students during the period 1995 to present.
And according to Overton, according to UNESCO, TVET is a comprehensive term referring to those aspects of the educational process involving the study of technology and related sciences and the acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge relating to occupation in various sectors of economic and social life. “Therefore the graduands of this TVET institution would have most naturally been given the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and competencies that are presently required by employers and which should be adaptable to their everyday living for them to keep pace with changes in their societies, economy and jobs,” noted Overton. As such he noted that it is expected that LTI would have made sure that the learning needs of all young people and adults attending the institution were met with equitable access to an appropriate learning and life skills programme.

 

 

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