BIT honours exceptional contributors to Apprenticeship Programme

Nov 25, 2018 News

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By Kiana Wilburg

The apprenticeship programme of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) has recognized as one of the most successful tools being utilized to improve the skills of Guyana’s youths as well as their employability.
And while the successes of these youths are often celebrated, the Board of Industrial Training recently held an award and cocktail reception to honour the contributions of those who have been instrumental in the achievements of these youths.
The event which was held at the Pegasus Hotel, saw the attendance of Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott; BIT Chairman, Clinton Williams, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and other distinguished guests.

During the featured address, Minister Scott noted that training providers are legally defined in the Industrial Training Act, Chapter 39:04 as Masters. He said that the term “Master” is used to describe a Master Tradesman to whom the Board of Industrial Training has approved and licensed to receive Apprentices for the purposes of training.
Within the realm of business, a Partnership, a Firm or a Company can be licensed and deemed a Master by BIT.
Scott said that the Ministry of Social Protection appreciates the critical roles being played by Masters in every formal Apprenticeship Scheme.
He said, “As a matter of fact, it is reported that the (current Masters) have given sterling contributions to the Board of Industrial Training over the past decades for which they are being recognised. One of them has recently observed the 58th Anniversary of its Apprenticeship Programme, and for that, commendations would be quite in order. That company is none other than the Guyana Sugar Co-operation Inc. (GuySuCo).”
The Minister continued, “This Company has also experienced serious difficulties, which have forced it to make adjustments to its management plans and programmes but it was not motivated or influenced to adjust its Apprenticeship Programme downwards.
However, it has maintained its programme because apart from the strategic financial, technological and human capital adjustments it has made, the corporation believes that its Apprenticeship Programme can significantly contribute to its salvation and has held on tenaciously to it. I believe that such a company can be regarded as one with a vision on a mission worthy of emulation.”
Scott added, “The records of the Board of Industrial Training also show that there are nine functioning Masters, with an additional three, which have been recently approved and will be licensed. An additional 37 potential Masters who can be approved and licensed once the willingness is also in the pipeline.”
He was also pleased to reveal that ExxonMobil and CGX Energy Inc. are listed amongst the potential Masters.

Also addressing the event was BIT’s Chairman, Clinton Williams. The official said that despite the implementation of apprenticeship in Guyana over 108 years ago, the country continues to face Youth Labour Market challenges with respect to increasing young people’s access to quality jobs by improving their skills and by extension, enabling positive employability pathways.
Williams asserted that companies in both the public and private sector frequently complain about the mismatch between job skills needed and those generated.
Notwithstanding, the BIT Chairman said that the apprenticeship system has been internationally recognized as the most successful tool being utilized to improve youth skills.
He said that recent labour market studies have confirmed the existence of a “skills deficiency syndrome” in Guyana. This unfortunate situation only adds to the higher levels of youth unemployment, increased skills mismatch phenomena, compounded by inadequate systems for the re-skilling of redundant and/or displaced workers.
Williams said that the undesirable result obviously would be decreased labour productivity coupled by grossly inadequate or insufficient preparation in responding to the demand of future job needs in both the existing and emerging sectors such as Oil and Gas, Clean Energy, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Tourism and Hospitality, Agro-processing, Maritime Transportation and Logistics, Mining, Timber and Wood Products Added Value Industries.
The BIT Chairman added that a recent study conducted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has established that there are several core elements and guiding principles, which have been utilized successfully in the design and implementation of Apprenticeship Programmes internationally.
He noted that these include Alignment with the country’s Development Strategy, Improvement in Governance arrangements, the placement of more emphasis on employer engagements, increased funding and incentives systems and periodically reconfiguring curriculum design and delivery systems.
Williams said, “BIT now has no other alternative but to modify its mandate by adopting similar strategies in order to substantially improve the delivery of its apprenticeship programme in the short term by seeking to establish long-term and broad consensus across political spectra and social partners, and the utilization of Labour Market Intelligence on skill needs by sector to determine/support decision making on Apprenticeship/Traineeship Programmes, among other things.”
In this context, Williams took the opportunity to appeal to both the Private and Public Sector and other Government Agencies to come on board as new Masters or Service Providers in order to accelerate and intensify Tech Voc Programmes both at the Pre-Apprenticeship Level (such as BIT’s narrow profile NTPYE Programme), as well as the Apprenticeship Level, not to mention transitioning to Technician Level within the Post-Secondary Institutions and ultimately Professional Engineering at the University Level under the aegis of the Council for Technical Vocational Education and Training (CTVET).

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