The Open Doors Centre, a national vocational training centre for persons with disabilities, yesterday hosted its 9th graduation exercise at the Herdmanston Lodge in Georgetown.
The eleven graduating students, representing the class of 2017/2018 received training over the two-year period in Information Technology, Carpentry and Craft skills.
At the graduation ceremony, Manager of the Open Doors Centre, Arthur Lewis, in his report, expressed how proud he was of the graduating class. He said that the organisation which has been around since 2001, aims to offer technical and vocational training for persons with disabilities in an effort to foster a more inclusive society.
Lewis declared that the vision of the organisation is to be able to carry out training exercises in all regions of Guyana and added, “Our vision is to be in all regions of Guyana because we have persons with disabilities in all regions so we want to provide technical and vocational skills training to make them productive members of society.” The centre provides those training skills for disabled persons from the ages of 16 to 45, though Lewis however reassured that although there is a cut off age, they are willing go beyond as long as the persons are willing to receive training.
The Manager also spoke on some of the challenges persons with disabilities face in the world of work. He stated that in the professional field, many persons with disabilities who are qualified for positions would be passed up after the employer discovers that they have a disability. “The few who can acquire some sort of education, no matter how qualified they are, when the employer sees their disability, they always say, we will get back to you” Lewis was quoted as saying. He also pointed out that the students were also equipped with communication skills, social skills and calculation skills.
During the training period the students took part in extracurricular activities and even did work attachments for 12 weeks with various organisations including the Carnegie School of Home Economics and the National Commission on Disabilities. “This is one of the key components of the programme. It gives the trainee an opportunity to gain real job experience, after training we don’t just send them into the world of work but we give them an opportunity to be attached to either a ministry or an institution where they can gain work experience for 12 weeks,” Lewis explained.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, who gave the feature address at the graduation ceremony encouraged the graduating class to do their best as they go out into the world with new skills. Persaud echoed that the Ministry of Public Health is working to have a more inclusive society. He applauded the efforts made by the Open Doors organisation and stressed the importance of trade skills and vocational training. “To the graduates this is a stepping stone, this is not the end, this is only the start and we hope that with this knowledge and the skills that the Open Doors Centre, the disability commission, our programme all the lecturers and tutors that contributed to your skill, that you continue to learn, so don’t stop,” Persaud said.
He reiterated that the ministry has always promoted the employment of persons with disabilities and that they will aid in finding jobs for the graduates.
The best Graduating Trainee from the programme, Althea Thomas said that she was surprised and speechless and excited when she found out that she came out of the programme as the best graduating student. Thomas said that the time she spent in the programme was wonderful and thanked the centre for making her school days fun and enjoyable as she was never able to previously have such an experience.
