Youth Policy awareness session ongoing.

DPI/GINA, GUYANA, Monday, June 26, 2017

Ministry of Education, Department of Youth is working to ensure that youths across Guyana, have a better understanding of the National Youth Policy.

This was revealed to Department of Public Information/Government Information Agency (DPI/GINA) by the Director of Youth, Melissa Carmichael who said that the department will be conducting awareness workshops across the regions. She explained that the youth and technical officers have already been trained to conduct the workshops.

“We have begun work in that light. First of all, we would have educated our youth officers, social workers who are the ones that will be implementing the programmes from the youth department. We have started to educate them through our workshops and training opportunities,” added Carmichael.

“We have begun consultation just recently we had youth ambassadors and youth consultants from various islands in country… we had three youth consultants a part of a meeting with the Minister of Education Nicolette Henry and members of the Department of Youth started consultation on the development of the National Youth Action Plan,” Carmichael added.

Carmichael further added that the Department of Youth has begun regional visits and as part of those visits they have on the agenda the education of the policy to persons.

“Technical people are on that trip to ensure that the young people in the various regions understand that there is a youth policy and they understand what that entails,” Carmichael explained.

The National Youth Policy is expected to be guided by a National Youth Empowerment Action Plan. Carmichael explains that the department is consulting youth groups and organisations towards crafting the plan.

The Director of Youth noted that suggestions were made for the Department to have extended consultations with youth representatives and youth groups within Guyana so they can put together the Youth Empowerment Action Plan in a more effective manner.

The National Youth Policy was adopted by the National Assembly on October 13 2016. Minister of Education acting, Nicolette Henry said that the Youth Policy is a comprehensive roadmap which lays out the Government’s plans for youth development.

 

By: Delon Sancho