About 800 children from various youth groups across the country yesterday attended the Guyana Police Force ‘A’ Division third annual career fair which aims at moulding and developing the youths, building public trust and reducing crime.
The event was held at the Police Sports Club, Eve Leary, under the theme “Transforming the Mind, Developing the Nation’s Youths Through Education, Motivation, and Self-Development”.
Commander of A’ Division Clifton Hicken, giving brief remarks at the opening, said the event was part of the police youth groups’ activity calendar which targets 18 youth groups ranging from areas such as Yarrowkabra, Linden/Soesdyke Highway, Tiger Bay, Sophia and Kitty/Campbellville.
“…The youth dressing along a career path means that they understand what is it they want in the future and it’s for us now to nourish them through mentorship and ensure that they achieve this objective,” Hicken said.
He explained that since the establishment of the youth initiatives, the police have seen a reduction in crime; communities have been providing the police with information which has aided in expanding their services.
According to Hicken, last year ‘A’ Division recorded a 19.2% decrease in serious crime. However, he projected, with such structures in place, it is possible to achieve a higher decrease.
“We have [closed] the barrier between the members of the public and the police because we are working to achieve one objective and that is to mould the youth so we can have the right leaders of tomorrow,” Hicken said.
Hicken said there is a series of other activities planned for the rest of the year which will positively impact the youths. In addition, the children are involved in mentoring on Saturdays.
The young people were neatly attired in uniforms showcasing their aspiring career choices: lawyers, doctors, teachers, police officers, nurses and soldiers.
Among the several booths present, it was anticipated that the Joint Services; the Guyana Police, the Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Defence Force, would be heavily visited.
Technical Director of the Ministry of Education Wazir Mohamed took the opportunity to invite all other stakeholders in the country to embrace such events so that the young people can be trained, have access to and experience the depth of the development taking place in all sectors of the economy. “This is very important because in choosing careers, young people should have access to all the experiences, all the information, all the personnel and all the resources that are available in our communities, in the nation…,” he said.
