62 Annai residents complete CSO training

Some 62 residents of Annai, Region Nine, are now certified Community Service Officers (CSOs) following a graduation ceremony on Saturday.

Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai said the programme aims to extend opportunities to young people so that they are able to make meaningful contributions to their communities.

The CSO programme is a representation of the government’s commitment to creating employment in hinterland communities.

“There are many opportunities that abound in our country, both skilled and academic but there is still a portion of our population that needs support to experience that kind of exposure. So, under the CSO programme, we are making it possible,” the minister said.

She noted the government’s drive to ensure that these opportunities are accessible in remote areas.

“It is an experience, we want to provide for the young people who are vulnerable in various villages in the hinterland regions,” she underscored.

Minister Sukhai said the programme also serves as the gateway to entrepreneurship.  

“You’re young, and you need the support and access to making life better for yourselves, and you have to start somewhere, so the CSO programme is the stepping stone.”

Moreover, she stressed the importance of residents working along with the government to bring development to their communities.

The CSO programme falls under the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme, which was reinstated by the government in 2020.

It allows for youth to receive training in various disciplines, following which, they are able to make valuable contributions in their respective communities.

The programme is indicative of the government’s unwavering support for youths in the Hinterland and remote communities.