Free electrical installation training is helping two Guyanese acquire certified skills they hope to use for career advancement, greater independence and additional income.

Orella Trotman and McGiver Miller are pursuing the programme through the Board of Industrial Training, which operates under the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning.

Trotman entered the programme with no stated professional background in the trade. Her decision was driven largely by curiosity after a technical officer informed her about the courses available.

“I started this course because I am a very curious person. When a technical officer had reached out to me and told me all these courses were being offered, I said, ‘You know what, electrical sounds like a good option,’” she recalled.

The training has since given Trotman a practical skill she believes could create another source of income while allowing her to handle some electrical tasks at home.

“It could be a very good additional source of income for me and also in my personal life,” she said.

Miller, meanwhile, is using the programme to strengthen skills he already applies in his work as an electrician.

“The programme has helped me tremendously. I’m currently working as an electrician, and the programme has helped me to move forward and learn new things,” he said.

Miller said free access was particularly valuable because of the cost of technical education.

“If I was to pay for such education, it would cost a lot of money. So, I’m glad that the government provided it free for us to empower ourselves and make a better future for us and our children,” he said.

The programme forms part of a wider effort to expand technical and vocational training as Guyana’s construction and industrial sectors increase their demand for skilled workers.

BIT Chief Executive Officer Richard Maughn announced in July that the agency intends to train an additional 2,000 people by the end of 2026. The government also allocated $2.5 billion for training countrywide in this year’s national budget.

BIT officials have said participants often use the programmes as a pathway to employment, entrepreneurship or further studies at technical institutions.

McGiver Miller