AN EXPERIENCED TRAINING PROVIDER
The Business Training Center (BTC) is a learning institution with over twenty years’ experience in providing training for young men and women to become certified and qualified in business and computer related fields. BTC strives to embody its mission statement to contribute to the development of human resources in Dominica through the offering of internationally accredited courses and qualifications.
In 2020, BTC obtained UKaid support through the SkYE Caribbean programme to provide training to 300 young men and women between the age 15-30 to improve their opportunity for employment. The partnership between BTC and SkYE has already yielded significant results with 112 students from the first cohort having successfully passed their examination, of which 99 graduates gained employment, including 9 students who established their own businesses.
DEMASIAH THOMAS
Demsaiah Thomas was born with a physical disability in his left leg. Before attending BTC, Demasiah was pursing studies at another learning institution. However, during his first school year, his father, who was his primary education financier, passed away. As a result, Demasiah sought employment and was hired at a local call-center. However, he was unhappy since he wanted to follow his passion and pursue studies in graphics design. However, as an alternative, he was able to obtain alternative employment as a Graphic Designer for a local restaurant through the government’s National Employment Program.
Eventually, he learned about the complementary SkYE programme at BTC and underwent training in “Sales Management & Marketing” and “Adobe Certified Professional – Visual Design” which he has successfully completed. Demasiah is hoping to gain employment soon. He remarked, “I am happy that I am now certified in my field of interest, and I hope to secure a job in the future in this area”.
NIA BELLE
Nia Belle – Trained and Certificated!!
Nia Belle is an 18-year-old resident of the Kalinago territory in Dominica. Despite growing up in a disadvantaged community, Nia has always been determined to work hard and excel in her educational pursuits. She attended the Castle Bruce Secondary School and successfully achieved 13 grade one passes in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. During her tertiary level education, Nia joined the SkYE program and underwent training in QuickBooks. She successfully completed the course and is now a QuickBooks Certified User. Nia says, “I was elated to receive my certification under the SkYE project, it is a boost to my previous grades and will make me more marketable in the job field”. Nia plans to pursue a career in Computer Technology in the future.
FACTS
Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) is a four-year, UKaid funded programme to provide certified skills training for 6,000 disadvantaged young people, including those challenged by disability, in four Eastern Caribbean countries: Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia and St Vincent & the Grenadines. The Programme will develop a more productive and inclusive workforce in sectors with good economic growth potential.
SkYE is supporting national training authorities and training providers to make systemic improvements to the development, delivery and quality assurance of technical, vocational education and training (TVET) in the four focus islands through targeted capacity building.
