US Ambassador Brent Hardt joined government and other officials on Wednesday for the inauguration of the USAID Coaches Training Workshop for the Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE) Project aimed at helping at-risk youth find employment.
“The training will ensure the SKYE project personnel are equipped with the skills needed to assist at-risk youth in finding employment opportunities, participating in Guyana’s labour force, and contributing to the country’s economic growth,” a press release from the US Embassy in Georgetown said.
The project is designed to divert vulnerable youth ages 15 to 24 from crime and violence by providing them with a path to gainful employment. It “engages the population most likely to become perpetrators or victims of criminal acts and violence,” the Embassy said. The project is being developed with the active involvement of the Home Affairs, Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Education and Youth, Culture and Sport ministries. “All are vital partners in ensuring the SKYE project achieves its desired results,” the Embassy added.
SKYE forms part of US President Barack Obama’s Caribbean Basic Security Initiative, which was launched at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad in April 2009. It has been developed in partnership with Caribbean countries to reduce violent crime and illicit trafficking that threaten citizen security, the release said.
