1,012 youths benefit from training

−Youth Dept to create more night schools in 2020 

DPI, Guyana, Friday, September 20, 2019

Approximately one thousand and twelve (1,012) young people from across Guyana have been equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to become gainfully employed or self-employed.

This was made possible through the programmes offed by the Youth Empowerment Unit under the auspices of the Department of Youth. While this number caters for the period January to September 2019, it is an accomplishment which the department plans to build on.

“As a department, we are grateful that we were able to contribute to the enhancement and the development of our young people. While we are mandated to create a platform for them so that they can gain employment, job opportunities or even provided with funding for projects,” Assistant Director of Youth, Leslyn Boyce told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Boyce highlighted that institutions like Kuru-Kuru Training Centre, the Sophia Night School and the Vryman Erven Training Centre have trained 178,96 in technical courses and 63 young persons were equipped with vocational skills.

The Assistant Youth Director opined that much has being achieved through the partnership between the Department and the Board of Industrial Training (B.I.T); resulting in hundreds of youths being provided with a second chance to learn new skills and become responsible contributing members of society.

The Youth Empowerment Unit offers programmes in financial literacy and small business training, youth leadership, agro-processing, apiculture among others.

The department notes with pride there has been much success with the existing night school programmes offered in Linden at the Harmony Secondary School, in Soesdyke at the Soesdyke Secondary School; in Sisters Village/Goed Intent at the Toevlugt/Patentia NDC building; the Community Centre in Kildonan; the Training Centre in Sophia and at the Festival City Youth and Parent Community Centre in North Ruimveldt.

According to Boyce, the Youth Department plans to establish about six more similar night school programmes across the country in 2020. “Every two years, we aim to create at least two or more such programmes and right now the night school is in demand, it is evident based on our outreaches, feedback and even the ‘Government comes to You’ outreaches where persons make requests for the night schools in their communities,” she explained.

The Assistant Youth Director also announced the hosting of the second Youth Business Summit will be in 2020. “The Department of Youth has gone through its own challenges and successes for this year hence some of our programmes needed to be curtailed to ensure other programmes undertaken by the department can be conducted successfully,” she explained.

Boyce explained the decision was taken to host the forum at a later date to ensure there were no hiccups. She advised that persons interested in attending the summit to contact the department on telephone number 225-0544 for updates on the forum or come into their office at 91 Middle Street, Georgetown.