Barbadian workers who have been laid off are being encouraged to upgrade their skills for re-entry into the job market.

This word of advice has come from Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Senator Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo, who cited government???s Employment Training Fund (ETF) as one such project which could assist workers in updating or learning new skills. She added this could prove helpful when searching for jobs.

Speaking to the media at last weekend???s job fair at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, the Minister lamented that not enough persons were making use of the $10 million ETF.

???There are many workers who do not have any sort of certification. If you do not take advantage of these opportunities ???you are immediately putting yourself at the bottom of the pile because you have no skills.

???Use the time now, use the resources available through the Fund, which is free. Once you are unemployed, go and sign up for the Fund and there are a variety of courses which are offered through the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, the Barbados Vocational Training Board and some other private agencies which have come on board as well,??? Senator Byer Suckoo said.

The Labour Minister added that government was also keeping in touch with changing trends in the job market and as such, was offering new, relevant courses for Barbadians.

???Where people are interested in subjects that are not on the list, it is not difficult to add others. We just added Digital Media because we realised that more persons were expressing an interest because not everyone wants to focus, for example, on pastry making or auto body work.

???We have $10 million dollars there and I want Barbadians who are displaced to take advantage of the training opportunities available. They have not been the kind of numbers which I want to see,??? Senator Byer Suckoo said.??

andre.skeete@barbados.gov.bb

Author: Andr?? Skeete

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