The Ministry of Education and Labour is pleased to announce that the Construction Job Fair held on Saturday June 25, 2005 at the Hospitality Center of the T. A. Marryshow Community College was a resounding success. The event was a collaborative effort of USAID/CARANA in association with USAID/PADCO, the U.S. Peace Corp and the Ministry of Education and Labour. The USAID/CARANA Corporation, Grenada Business and Agriculture Revitalization Project, over the past seven months have been working with the T.A Marryshow Community College, NEWLO, and the St. Patrick’s Multipurpose Center in the delivery of various construction skills training programs. The average length of training was six (6) weeks with some trainees doing as much as eight weeks. The trainees were exposed to the basic theory and at least four (4) weeks of practice. Upon successful completion of the programme, trainees were awarded certificates, which qualify them to work as helpers and/or apprentices within the selected trade area. The USAID/CARANA Programs to date have trained and graduated persons in ten (10) construction skills areas, which are: Carpentry (26 persons), Electrical (99 persons), Plumbing and pipe fitting (72 persons), Masonry (16 persons), Roofing (84 persons), Tiling (68 persons), Construction Site Management (23 persons), Occupational Health and Safety (19 persons), Measurement and Costing (19 persons), and Standardization and Quality Control (12 persons). This gives a grand total of four hundred and thirty eight (438) persons who have so far, benefited from the construction related skills training. The Construction Trade Fair was organized to bridge the gap between completion of training and the commencement of Jobs. The construction industry is booming presently and the Construction Trade Fair was the perfect opportunity to ensure that the industry is filled with persons competent and capable of performing construction tasks that contribute to rebuilding Grenada “ bigger and better”. Since most construction workers within the industry presently are not trained in that field, there is a high demand for regional workers, who need permits to fill the vacant positions. Therefore it is in order and timely that USAID in association with the Ministry of Education and Labour is investing in training of locals to satisfy the needs of the construction industry. The fact that over 400 hundred plus persons have received training in one construction skill or another is a step in the right direction not only for the construction industry but also for Grenada as a whole. Source: Ministry of Education and Labour