Over 5,000 Indigenous youths receive extensive training, scholarships
More than 5,000 youths from the hinterland regions have benefitted from diverse training programmes and scholarships, greatly expanding their educational journey since 2020.
This was underscored by the Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, as he emphasised the government’s commitment to providing educational and training opportunities to Guyanese.
Dr Singh was addressing Amerindian leaders during the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, on Thursday.
Under the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) programme, 3,000 residents from Regions One, Seven, Eight, and Nine, are pursuing tertiary education in various programmes, with government support through the internet connectivity initiative.
Additionally, over 700 hinterland students are benefitting from scholarships for their secondary education in various schools in the city.
In the realm of technical training, 2,000 youths have been equipped with diverse technical skill sets through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), including heavy-duty equipment operations.
Furthermore, 380 youths have benefitted from training opportunities under the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF).
“We believe that, in the first instance, we must work with you to build a sustainable village economy. And, of equal importance, we must ensure that opportunities are provided to every single resident and citizen of Guyana to be able to uplift themselves, irrespective of where they live,” he informed the leaders.
The senior minister noted too, that the government is fully prepared to launch tailor-made training programmes to cater to the unique needs of the hinterland regions.
“I want to emphasise that if in a particular village you would like a customised training programme, whatever the area may be, if you have a sufficient number of people who want training in a particular area, there is an agency in government with which you can work to develop that training programme…We have done that on the BIT. We have done on the BNT to meet the needs of specific groups of persons,” Minister Singh explained.
Meanwhile, Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, affirmed that all outstanding stipends for hinterland youths under training, amounting to $15 million will be paid soon.
This became possible after the approval of more than $77 million in supplementary funding for BIT, ensuring timely disbursement to all villages within two weeks.
Leaders were also urged by the labour minister to prioritise health and safety, particularly in mining and forestry activities, and to prevent fatalities, with support from occupational safety and health officers in various regions.
He further underscored that the labour ministry stands ready to assist leaders in preparing legally binding contract arrangements for their activities.