The Board of Industrial Training (BIT) hosted a graduation ceremony on Wednesday, at the Leonora Technical & Vocational Training Centre (LTS&VTC) under the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment, in collaboration with the Sabeelur Islamic Training Centre.
The event celebrated the achievements of 55 trainees who completed programmes in Information Technology, 20 in Data Operations, and 15 in General Office Administration.
In attendance were Keoma Griffith, Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning; Mr. Richard Maughn, CEO/Executive Secretary, BIT; Mr. Mitchroy Garnett, Chairman of Lust-en-Rust; Mr. Anjanie Narine, Vice Chairman; Mr. Mark Adams, Administrator, LTS&VTC; Ms. Devika Ramsewak and Mr. Jason Clarke, Technical Officers, BIT; Ms. Marcell Watson, Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Officer; Ms. Adelicia Andries, Human Resource Clerk; Mr. Rayad Khan, Principal, Sabeelur Islamic Training Centre; Ms. Bhaitta Albert, President, Region 3 Chambers of Commerce; and other officials.
Delivering brief remarks, Mr. Richard Maughn, CEO/Executive Secretary of BIT, noted that over the last five years, with the mandate to ensure that Technical, Vocational Education, and Training (TVET) is accessible to all Guyanese, the agency has remained steadfast in its commitment.
“There have been investments in the lives of individuals,” he stated. He went on to add, “Every region, sub-region, hills and valleys, riverine communities, we are there. I normally say we can boast that people can say yes, the Board of Industrial Training is making an impact. Still, that impact is only possible because the Government of Guyana is intentional in making sure that resources are made available for the development of individuals.”
Delivering the feature address, the Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, highlighted that the Ministry, through the Board of Industrial Training, remains a cornerstone in Guyana’s drive for development.
He emphasised that the Ministry continues to work toward sustainable development and growth across all ten administrative regions, with BIT’s programmes being diversified to reach every corner of the country.
Minister Griffith noted, “We have seen growth and skill development across this country, and for Region Three alone, in the last five years, there have been 97 projects implemented. We have seen beneficiaries totaling 1,696 individuals, with a gender distribution of 794 males and 902 females, representing a total investment of $141.6 million by the Government of Guyana.”
He added that Region Three has been enriched by this intervention, explaining that these achievements go beyond statistics or figures. “What we are seeing here are enriched families, stronger households, and therefore stronger communities,” minister stated.
The Minister further stated, “From this programme alone, participants have been trained in data entry and management, records organisation, office communication, document preparation, and the use of productivity software. This training has fostered your employability, professionalism, and adaptability to evolving workplace technologies.”
He continued, “There has been development and a fast pace of progress all over, and what this Government has ensured is that we can empower our young men and women to keep pace with the development we are seeing in this country and to seize those opportunities. That is why, through the Board of Industrial Training, you are seeing direct investment being made in both white-collar and blue-collar jobs.”
Minister Griffith concluded by encouraging graduates to make full use of their new skills.
“We want persons not only to excel and become contractors across this country but also to become professionals, to operate within offices, build their own consultancies, and strengthen administration across Guyana. This programme will be impactful for all of you because now you possess the skill sets to go anywhere in Guyana and improve office administration in this country,” he said.
Earlier in this year, BIT collaborated with the Leonora Technical & Vocational Training Centre (LTS&VTC) and Sabeelur Islamic Training Centre in Region Three to provide individuals with Competency-Based Training to enable them to gain at least an entry-level skill, expand their opportunities, and improve their livelihood.
This is the second batch that has been rolled out. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of certificates to the successful trainees.
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