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Barbadians and others resident here are being urged to register for training under Government’s Employability Project.

With the launch of the pilot project on Wednesday, July 15, registration is now open for prospective candidates to sign up for Core Skills – the first of three components that will be rolled out online.

Interested persons are encouraged to register by visiting the websites of the National Training Initiative or the Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations.

The other two courses are Occupational Safety and Health and Entrepreneurship, which will be available from the beginning of August and the middle of August 2020, respectively.

Each course is of eight hours’ duration and trainees will have two weeks within which to complete the individual courses.  

The courses will be available during the pilot until the end of September 2020, so persons may register during this time period, as there is no deadline. 

In addition to completing the course and earning a certificate, it is hoped that participants will gain a foundational understanding of Core Skills and its importance to the world of work, since the course covers aspects of communication, digital and employability skills, including teamwork and problem solving.

Individuals who register and meet the criteria (that is unemployed, and are aged 16 to 60) will automatically receive an email notification informing that they have successfully registered.  The candidate will then be asked to create an account with a username and password.

To date, over 200 persons have registered for this first module.

The Employability Project was conceptualised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations, with the support of the International Labour Organization Caribbean Office, and the National Training Initiative. The latter will initially provide the digital platform on which the online, self-taught training will be delivered.

Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations

A major objective of the initiative is to enhance employability among persons who have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a targeted intervention, it seeks to demonstrate the benefits of supporting affected workers during this period, and of building partnerships to ease their re-entry into the labour market, in the aftermath of COVID-19.  

Emphasis will therefore be placed on partnerships for employment – building partnerships with employers’ and workers’ organisations.

The Ministry envisions that while persons will receive unemployment benefits, such benefits will only be for a period of time. 

It is believed that during the period of unemployment, persons may be encouraged to acquire new skills and knowledge to enhance their employability, once the economy is re-energised.

The Employability Project targets unemployed persons from ages 16 to 60, and with the first course set to start soon, it is felt that teaching Core Skills will enable the grouping to upskill and enhance the manner in which they present and conduct themselves in the world of work.  

This is necessary as they contemplate a future of employment likely to include working for someone else, becoming an entrepreneur, or being self-employed. 

joy-ann.gill@barbados.gov.bb

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