Youth Innovation Fund programme set for May 22 launch

GINA, GUYANA, Monday, May 15, 2017

Young people across Guyana will soon benefit from the Youth Innovation Fund (YIF) which is set to be launched on May 22 at Umana Yana. This programme will serve as an opportunity to help harness the creative ideas of the young people.

The $50M YIF programme was introduced in the 2017 National Budget.

Director of Youth, Melissa Carmichael told the Government Information Agency (GINA), that the high unemployment rates among youths spurred the creation of the project. The exercise aims to push youths towards entrepreneurship.

“Young people will put up their proposals in terms of what idea they may have that might be able to foster development in their community, your school or by extension Guyana we are hoping that they bring forward these proposals and these proposals of course will be selected by a panel through the Ministry of Education, Department of Culture, Youth and Sport,” the youth director added.

The YIF will be accessible across all the regions. Carmichael highlighted that the Ministry’s representatives will be stationed in each region to assist participants with their proposals.

The youth director said that she is optimistic that there will be a large number of applications from young people. However, she said that the ministry has not decided on the number of persons who will be selected for the programme.

Minister within the Ministry of Education Nicolette Henry told the Government Information Agency (GINA), during a recent interview that in keeping with the government’s ‘green agenda’ the programme will focus on solutions for the reduction of fossil fuel usage and the Scientific Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programme. The programme has an out of school and in-school component.

 

By: Neola Damon