400 disabled persons certified with industrial training

Oct 07, 2019 News

From 2016 to 2019, some 400 disabled persons have been trained and certified with skills in industrial training under the Ministry of Social Protection.
On Friday, during a graduation ceremony held for persons in the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment, Director of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), Mr. Ganesh Singh, revealed that in 2016, the then Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, initiated a meeting with the Disability Committee to get persons with disabilities involved in skills development for employment.
The Guyana Disability Act clearly stipulates that the Ministry of Labour under the Ministry of Social Protection is required to provide skills training for persons with disabilities, and I can honestly tell you that that has been done since 2016 through the BIT,” he explained.
“In a matter of weeks, that relationship started to bear fruits because in 2016, training for persons with disabilities started at the Board of Industrial Training,” the Director stated.
Over the decades, persons with disabilities have been a marginalised population in our society and they are faced with multiple challenges, he added.
Singh adds that poverty is still prevalent and attributes it to lack of employment for persons with disabilities. “Still, that is the case today but we have seen significant strides,” the Director admits.
Through the Board of Guyana Council for Persons with Disabilities, they have trained approximately 400 persons with vision disabilities, persons with physical disabilities, persons with intellectual disabilities, persons with learning disabilities and persons who are deaf.
These persons have been trained in the area of cosmetology, computer repairs, Information Technology, craft, woodworking, chair making, mat making, and food processing. Recently, web designing was started and also pretty soon, the training will include STEM robotics and repairs.
Quite a few of these individuals have gone into some level of employment and a few have also gained support from agencies and ministries to establish small businesses.
Singh says that one can safely say that out of the partnership, more persons with disabilities are now economically and financially independent.
“The President of Guyana mentioned that you don’t give a man a fish for a day but you teach him to fish and you feed him for a life. That is what the government has been doing for persons with disabilities.
As a member of the disability and an advocate, I hope that relationship continues so that persons with disabilities can be empowered so that they would eventually be financially independent,” he concluded.

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