Many things not right at Board of Industrial Training

Nov 16, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
With disgusted I penned this letter and I would appreciate to know under whose purview the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) falls within the Ministry of Social Protection. It would be highly appreciated which one of the Ministers responsible for the functioning of the day to day running of this department should bring it under the microscope. I was closely associated with this department for a number of years. Although I am no longer, I still take a keen interest in the functioning of this department. Instead of revolving into the twenty first century, it is rapidly plunging to its lowest.
For the past three years the malfunctioning had begun when the previous administration favoured a young woman to head this department as its Chief Executive Officer/Secretary, a designation that was also created by the previous administration because formerly this department was headed by a Secretary, enshrined in the Industrial Training Act 39:04 Laws of Guyana.
To begin with this young woman has the relevant technical skills and is placed to run a department that is technically inclined. I don’t feel that she can differentiate between one type of machine from another. Secondly, she has given herself the power to employ and miss staff.. Now, it seems you can be employed by the Board of Industrial Training once you have certain connections. Thirdly, she had written to the administrative arm of the then Ministry of Labour Human Services and Social Security and had all of the permanent staff reassigned occupying desks in various sections with litle or nothing to do after serving this country for over 28 years. The opposition talks about witch hunt when they are the founders of witch hunt because they are the ones who placed these misfits into positions that they are not suitable qualified for.
Now I noticed a few months back an established banking sector in this country churned out a batch of apprentices but no mention of the Board of Industrial Training so I am wondering who monitored these apprentices and certified them because as far as I am aware only the Board of Industrial Training has the mandate by law to certify apprenticeship programmes . This programme has died a natural death.
Over the years we had masters like Guysuco, GPL, Transport and Harbours etc. Guysuco being the largest amongst the set who used to train our young people in the various engineering trades. The certificates used to be highly recognized both here and aboard. Now this system is failing our young people because the head of this department do not appreciate Technical and Vocational Training because this area is not her passion. On the other hand the staff there who are responsible for the apprenticeship programme are not adequately qualified in the relevant areas they operate in. The Ministry is doing nothing about this.
Some years gone back SIMAP had launch a Technical Vocational Training programme for the vulnerable youths in this country and that training programme was 100% successful because today you can go to workshops that are owned and controlled by those trainees especially in Region 3. Today this
Department that is getting over three hundred million dollars per year, has an approved budget and is training young people to bake cakes and is doing a four months IT programme What can you learn in four months in IT and be marketable . This woman’s performance has to be reviewed
Donald Alexander

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