For many, pursuing a course offered by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) is about gaining new knowledge. But for sisters Tia and Tameira Forde, it was a strategic move to expand their food business, T’s Delight & Catering Service.
Tia, 23, and Tameira, 26, launched their business in November 2024, quickly earning a reputation for offering an array of dishes, including grilled seafood such as salmon, snapper, and prawns.
Given the competitive nature of the food industry, they made a conscious decision to seek professional training and certification.
“Our business is probably about 95 per cent almost finished. So, when we finish this course, we are going to pay more attention because we already have more knowledge,” Tameira told the Department of Public Information (DPI) at their graduation ceremony on Monday. The duo was among over 100 students who graduated from BIT that day.
The sisters, whose love for cooking propelled them into entrepreneurship, understood that further expansion required more than passion.
The Commercial Food Preparation program offered by BIT allowed them to gain valuable skills such as pastry baking and food safety, both important ingredients for a thriving food business.
Graduating with distinctions, the Forde sisters acknowledged the challenges they faced. Attending day classes demanded a shift in their business hours to working later in the evenings. This has led to moments of doubt about the commitment required, but eventually their persistence paid dividends.
The younger sister, Tia, expressed her desire to incorporate rice wine, a beverage she learned during the programme, providing a unique option for customers.
Both sisters expressed gratitude for the opportunity and encouraged other young entrepreneurs to explore skill-building courses to create new income streams.
Over 13,000 Guyanese received certificates in critical skills courses through BIT in the last 5 years. Some courses include plumbing, carpentry, welding, cosmetology, etc., all of which make BIT graduates more marketable in the workforce.
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