Training under HEYS to recommence by year end
− govt continues to empower the nation’s youth
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, May 9, 2019
Through the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) programme, another batch of young people from the hinterland region will be trained in areas of business, entrepreneurship, agriculture, ecotourism and technology. The training programme will commence by the end of 2019.
This was declared by Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock during his address to the youth of Massara and Annai, North Rupununi, Region 9 (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
“We will be training another cohort of youth under this programme because. We did an assessment, and we had a number of successes so we will continue it.”
The project now falls under the recently established Youth Corps at the Kuru Kuru Training Centre. Under this new programme, some 1,000 young people across the country will be taught under the HEYS and other youth training programmes. While this exercise may not cover young persons with children, the ministry will be providing support to communities to ensure there are training and job opportunities for them.
“We had one case where a young lady had a family with six kids, she may not be able to leave her children and go for training. But we don’t want those youth to feel left out, so we are looking to a more community approach to deal with those cases.”
The HEYS programme is the brainchild of President David Granger when he laid out the ten-point plan for hinterland development. Launched in 2015, the programme was designed to give 4,000 Indigenous youth a second opportunity to empower themselves through entrepreneurship. Cohort One of the programme would have seen 752 small and micro businesses established, while Cohort Two, an additional 1,000 similar businesses.
Minister Allicock reminded that some $400,000 was invested in each of these young entrepreneurs through a monthly stipend of $30,000 along with an additional sum to start-up their businesses.
Through this programme, the APNU+AFC Government has, over the last three years, invested more than $2Billion in hinterland youth empowerment. In 2016, close to $1Billion was budgeted for the project, $991M in 2017 and $982M in 2018.
Additionally, youth skills training will also be boosted in 2019, with the construction of the flagship Hinterland Green Enterprise Development Centre, at Bina Hill in Annai. This facility will benefit some 120 students. The newly constructed Hinterland Student Dormitory will also facilitate tertiary students in Georgetown.
Synieka Thorne.
Image: Anil Seelall.