In Region Ten, 164 youths are better prepared to enter the work force.
A release yesterday from the Government Information Agency said that this has been made possible with the graduation of 115 youths from the National Training Programme for the Youth Empowerment (NTPYE) and 49 from the single parent component.
Programmes such as heavy-duty operator, mechanic, garment construction, catering, cosmetology, pharmacy assistant, nurse aide, child care assistant, cake decorating, electrician and clerks are some of the courses offered by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), GINA said.
Project Coordinator, Coreen Connelly in her report noted that in addition to the skill training, the beneficiaries were exposed to moral teachings and the basics of Maths and English.
She stressed that already 12 of the graduates, from Linden, and five from Kwakwani have secured employment, GINA added.
The NTPYE programme saw a 70 percent completion rate while the single parent component attained 94 percent, GINA said.
Chairman of BIT’s Board, Dr. Dale Bisnauth in his presentation stated that earning an income especially by youths creates a sense of self-worth and belonging. Dr. Bisnauth said that BIT is in talks with the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF)/SIMAP to expand the training courses being offered. Once these arrangements are settled youths will be able to partake in training provided by these two agencies.
Dr. Bisnauth told the batch of a female who started the heavy-duty machine operator programme at the Georgetown Technical Institute (GTI) and found a job before completing the training.
Regional Chairman, Sharma Solomon while delivering the feature address commended the graduates for making the sacrifice to better. He said that he has also benefited from similar opportunities.
Solomon expressed approval of the number of women who graduated, an indication that they are committed to do more for themselves despite the fact that they are single parents. He added that based on statistics, Region 10 is said to have over 10,000 single mothers.
BIT was conceived by former President Bharrat Jagdeo in 2005, and aims at giving unemployed youths a second chance to a secure future, GINA said. Some of the disciplines covered were mechanic, health care assistant, welder/ fabricator, clerk, catering, cosmetology, joinery and vehicular graphic design. With effect from January 2013, a driver/salesman course was added to the programme.
This programme forms part of the fundamental principles of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration to ensure the equitable access to education by all its citizens, GINA added.
