77% of BIT trainees employed, women dominate skills programmes – Labour Minister

About 77 per cent of persons trained through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) are now employed, with many others establishing their own businesses, according to Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith.

Speaking on the Starting Point Podcast on Sunday, Griffith said the outcomes show that the training programmes are producing meaningful results for participants across Guyana.

“Based on our case study, about 77 per cent of all the persons trained in BIT are employed and most of them have established their own businesses. We are seeing not just a training certificate but a transformation in lives,” the minister said.

Griffith also highlighted the growing participation of women in skills training programmes, noting that they now make up the majority of trainees, including in fields traditionally dominated by men.

Over the last five years, the ministry has trained 9,331 women compared to 7,021 men through BIT programmes.

According to the minister, women have increasingly been taking advantage of opportunities in areas such as electrical installation, heavy-duty equipment operation, photovoltaic installation and repairs, tractor operation and maintenance, and welding and fabrication.

“We have women who are being trained in electrical installation, 386; heavy-duty equipment operation, 500; photovoltaic installation and repairs, tractor operation and maintenance, welding and fabrication,” Griffith said.

He noted that the programmes are evolving beyond traditional areas of training.

“These aren’t just the regular types of skills training. We’ve moved away from cooking and garment construction. We still have those things, but what we are seeing is women taking opportunities which will directly impact the transformation of Guyana,” Griffith said.

Meanwhile, the programmes have also expanded to include vulnerable groups, with close to 500 persons living with disabilities receiving training through BIT. Of that number, 107 were trained in the last year in areas such as welding, computer technical skills, drone technology, plumbing, cosmetology, soap and candle making, sustainable farming and website development. The minister said the programmes continue to play a key role in equipping citizens with practical skills needed to participate in the country’s growing economy.