Two hundred and seventeen more youths graduated from the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment on Saturday last.
According to a Govern-ment Information Agency (GINA) press release, the regions five and six youths graduated at the Berbice High School, New Amsterdam after completing the six-month training programme.
Addressing them, Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy noted that every profession is important whether in the professional or technical field. He said too the whole country benefits when one more person is trained and that the project is established on the premise that training is essential for building capacity and national development.
The youths were trained in 24 areas. Ramsammy, who is also the MP for Region Six, said 74 of them graduated with a profession within the health sector and that his ministry and the Ministry of Labour are collaborating to provide an opportunity for youths interested in pursuing careers in nursing. In alluding to the 1,000 students who are currently studying in Cuba and the 5,250 youths that the project is targeting, Ramsammy noted that more opportunities are being provided for the young people of today.
Meanwhile, Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir noted that many youth have supported the project since it opened and that the number of females who have been participating is commendable, though Guyana has been experiencing a reduction in the number of women in the work force. Nadir said too an electronic database will be created and published on the internet to provide information on the development of all graduates from the project.
According to GINA, the graduates are now skilled in areas such as nurse-aide, laboratory assistant, mechanic, machinist, clerk, and teacher aide. The project was launched three years ago and targets early school-leavers. Recently 180 participants graduated in over 27 areas.
