The Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development (MOLSED) has taken note of the article published by the Trinidad Newsday on Thursday, June 11 th 2020 titled “On the Job Trainees to get 10 percent Stipend Increase.”
The article written by Mr. Sean Douglas stated that Minister of Labour and Small Enterprise Development, Senator the Honourable Jennifer Baptiste Primus said “People enrolled in the On-the-Job Training (OJT) Programme can soon expect to enjoy a ten per cent increase in their monthly stipend” when she appeared before House of Representative’s Standing Finance Committee in the Parliament on Wednesday, June 10th , 2020.
Contrary to what is reported in the article, the Honourable Minister in her opening statement indicated to the Committee, that the increase to the allocation was requested to supplement the 2019/2020 funding of the On-the-Job Training Programme (OJTP), as a result of the 10% increase in stipends which took effect from December 1st, 2019, as presented by the Minister of Finance in his budget presentation for fiscal 2020.
There was nothing in Minister’s presentation in the Parliament on Wednesday, June 10th 2020, to indicate that a further increase will be given. Therefore, the article is inaccurate.
On October 7th 2019, Minister of Finance, the Honourable Colm Imbert, in the Budget Presentation stated that Government would increase the On the Job Training Programme (OJTP) stipend by 10 percent and also increase the intake for the programme to 8,000 trainees. This came into effect as at December 2019 and ALL OJT Trainees have, to date, received their stipend upgrade as promised.
The OJTP Division continues to remain committed to developing the youth of the nation with the provision of opportunities for training through the acquisition of work based knowledge and industry specific experience in a safe working environment.
For more information on the On-the-Job Training Programme, you may visit our website at http://molsed.gov.tt/employment/on-the-job-programme or contact the Corporate Communications Unit of the M Corporate Communications Unit at communicationsmolsmed@gov.tt or 625-8478 Exts. 1203, 1208 or 1212.