“Register and participate” were the words of encouragement by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations, Dr. Karen Best, to those with an interest in accessing a series of courses under Government’s newly-launched Employability Project.
Addressing the launch of the project at the Warrens Office Complex, and streamed on the Zoom platform today, Dr. Best stressed that from the outset the initiative was seen as an intervention “not to bring glory to the Ministry, but to bring hope, a sense of relief and a future to the thousands of displaced workers who regrettably have lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19”.
Commending the International Labour Organization (ILO) for the support given from proposal stage to present, she said: “The stark realities of COVID-19 continue to surface each day even as the country slowly re-emerges and some businesses are reopening.”
Team ILO was also praised for helping to enhance the quality of the courses developed by officers within the Ministry, as collaboratively they worked to design the content and make it available to unemployed persons, men, women, the youth and the differently abled.
“All that is required to take these courses is access to an electronic device, be it a laptop, a mobile phone, a tablet, and or a desktop. The courses are all free,” Dr. Best said, adding that access to the three courses – Core Skills, Occupational Safety and Health, and Entrepreneurship Skills – is via the platform of the National Training Initiative.
In an effort to encourage participation and registration, she said: “It is recognised that even with unemployment, persons who are desirous of taking these courses will still have busy lives – households to manage and children to take care of.
“We have taken all of that into consideration. I am pleased to tell you that the maximum length of each course is approximately eight hours. Thus, you will be able to set your time over the course of two weeks to gain new skills and knowledge, to be able to return to the labour market or to start your own business.”
Click here for more information and to register for the Employability Project.