By Chevon Farley
The government has taken technical and vocational training (TVET) to new heights, boosting the country’s human resource capacity and preparing citizens, especially young Guyanese, to meet the growing demands of existing and emerging job markets.
Beyond professional development, the lives of Guyanese are being reshaped. Thousands are now transitioning from unemployment to long-term job positions in the public and private sectors.
For others, the training programmes have paved the way for entrepreneurship, with many people now launching their own businesses.
This is the reality for 29-year-old Shivani Harrylall, who recently completed the Ministry of Labour’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT) and the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) motor vehicle servicing and repair course.
Harrylall, who was one of the top three graduates in her class and the only female with distinction, said that the training was more than just a learning opportunity.
She said it was a life-changing decision as she is now on track to open an auto parts and mechanical business.
“Well there has been discussion within my family to start a business selling auto parts, a mechanical service so we are definitely moving forward in this business,” she said.
“I think it will be a great change for us because coming from a middle-class family and somebody who is always working with someone and never had the opportunity to be their own boss it will be a great opportunity for us to do that.”
Despite the success, balancing the training demands with a full-time job was no small feat.
Harrylall works as a taxi driver, providing services across the country and even as far as Suriname. She noted that adjusting her schedule to attend classes required dedication and sacrifice.
“Well, I do trips full time. I do trips to Suriname, airports and around Guyana. So, it was very hard to fix my schedule to facilitate coming to class, but because I am not a quitter. I don’t like my attendance to go down. So, I made a lot of sacrifices,” Harrylall said.
While expressing gratitude to the government for making such a training possible, she noted that it was not something she had ever seen in Guyana before.
“I am very grateful to the government for these opportunities. Growing up, we never saw these opportunities. So, when I saw this, I wanted to take it right away. And I am grateful that the government is not restricting training towards men…and leaving out women, but they are given the same opportunity,” she said happily.
Another trailblazer, Priya Devipujak, has completed the welding and fabrication course.
The young woman, who works as a security guard in Queensway, said the training armed her with the skills to attain a better job in a company.
“My next plan is to go into a company and thrive with the knowledge that I have gained,” Devipujak said.
She continued, “It feels good to me to encourage other young people that it does not matter if you are the youngest in the class or the only female. Once you have the mindset to do something, you can.”
At 28, his life did not end for part-time electrician Vidyanand Sugrim. He grabbed at the free opportunity to expand his knowledge and expertise.
“My experience was very good. I learned a lot of things. A lot of things we did not know in the field. We learned it in the training,” he said.
Welcoming the training initiative, Sugrim said the government is on the right track, as it relates to upskilling the nation.
“Right now, this country needs a lot of professional electricians. I think the government of Guyana is doing a great job in sponsoring these courses, and I want a lot of young people to take advantage of it,” he said.
The TVET training began in February and has already equipped 108 young people in Region Six with job-ready skills. DPI
