Youth mentorship training programme to continue in 2017

GINA, GUYANA, Wednesday, January 18, 2017

A programme to help mentor and counsel youths across Guyana is to be undertaken by the Office of the Presidential Advisor on Youth Empowerment. The training programme aims to train over 25 trainee social workers who will work with youth organisations and youths.

In a recent interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Presidential Youth Empowerment Advisor, Aubrey Norton, said that the training programme will be launched in the first quarter of 2017, depending on the  availability  of  a venue.

Norton noted that the youth organisations will select the individuals for the training programme based on the criteria provided by the agency.

Additionally, the Presidential Advisor on Youth Empowerment highlighted that this year, sixty persons will be selected to be trained in agro-processing.

“Some of them (youths) have already done their project proposal and then we will seek to link them to finances so that they can develop the particular area. In fact we are in discussion with a particular person who produces solar dryers that can help them in the process,” Norton said.

In 2016, a collaborative effort between the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) and the office of the Presidential Advisor on Youth Empowerment saw several four-day training courses on Agro-food processing.

A number of youths who participated have established their own business while the agency is working with the others to develop their project proposals..

During the training programme, participants learnt how to process and package fruits and vegetables including pepper, papaw, cherries and pineapple.

Phase one of the programme covered training in agro-processing while phase two covered training in financial literacy and business. This provided the youths the business and managerial skills needed to manage their small businesses.

 

By: Neola Damon