Through the continuing implementation of the Community Action Component (CAC) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded, Citizens’ Security Programme (CSP) 33 youths from the Annandale/Lusignan area graduated on Friday at the Annandale Secondary School in various disciplines.
The youths were exposed to training in the field of cosmetology, auto mechanics, electrical installation, welding, and computer skills, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said in a release.
The programme which was launched on August 13, 2010 with approximately 51 students is the first of its kind in both communities.
And delivering the graduation charge, Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee said that government is encouraging training for youths, especially those in vulnerable circumstances, so as to provide them with equal opportunities to make their contributions to the country’s development.
“Our partnership with the IDB in spearheading this programme is geared at taking people out of poverty by teaching them a skill, while at the same time deterring them from succumbing to criminal activities,” the minister is quoted as saying.
He said that the objective of government is to transform all of Guyana into a training ground for young people. One of the innovative programmes designed to meet this objective is the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) Programme, which was launched in January, the release stated.
Minister Rohee pointed that the OLPF will contribute tremendously in the country’s transformation and will complement the various types of training that are being executed throughout the country.