Apprenticeships for UG students, non-violent prisoners

The Labour Ministry will be providing apprenticeship programmes to University of Guyana (UG) students and persons incarcerated for non-violent offences. This apprenticeship allows them to benefit from both classroom teaching and work-based training.

This was announced by subject Minister Joseph Hamilton during a recent interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI). He noted that the Ministry has engaged the tertiary institution about the programmes that are expected to be rolled out in 2021. The Minister explained that the programme would ensure graduates acquire the necessary skills and training they need to succeed in the world of work.
“People are graduating by the hundreds at the university, but when they leave, they can’t land a job because they have no experience. So how do we deal with that? And so this programme will address that,” he said.
Hamilton added that the programme will be similar to that offered at UG’s Medical Science Faculty, where students are required to complete internship programmes before practising medicine.
“The same thing we must do for economists, accountants, engineers, so that in that one year they are honing their skills, and so when they go and apply for a job, they can bring that on their CV.”
Additionally, discussions are ongoing with the Home Affairs Ministry and the Guyana Prison Service to provide a similar training programme for those persons who were incarcerated for non-violent offences.
Several training programmes are already being provided to inmates at the various correctional facilities.
This, he said, is part of the Government’s plan to reintegrate people once they leave the prison system.
The training and other topics will be further discussed at a technical conference being organised by the Ministry for March next year.
Members of the Private Sector and heads of Council for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions are among those who will be participating in the conference.