The National Skills Development Programme exists to equip persons with the skills that will make them more marketable and confident in the workplace. To date this programme has been filled by more females than males. This initiative preforms an important function as these women are better able to fit into the workplace and command a better rate of pay thus improving their standard of living.

The National Skills Development Centre and Basic Needs Trust Fund have also sought to address the problem of unemployment of women in communities along the west coast where three of the ‘most indigent’ communities were identified. More than one hundred women received training to take advantage of the then expanding construction industry. The programme sought to ‘increase the level of self-esteem among women living along the west coast,’ and ‘to sensitize major stakeholders and the rest of society on the issues of female labour in the nontraditional areas of employment’ through a gender awareness workshop. The women received training in painting and tiling; carpentry and roofing; masonry and steel bending; electrical installation; air conditioning and refrigeration repair, and plumbing.