71 graduate from President Barack Obama’s SKYE Caribbean Basin Security initiative

A number of organizations, some new and some not so new, are coming forward to offer skills development and training that will enable early school leavers and school drop outs, single parents and even truants, to be able to get a second chance.

Participants pose with Private Sector representative Imran Saccoor; SKYE coordinator Alana Brassington; the only female graduate; and Executive Director of Youth Challenge Guyana, Dmitri Nicholson.

The programme is helping young people to educate themselves and be prepared for the world of work.

One such organisation is the Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE) Project. SKYE is a project unit that is funded by the United States through USAID as a core component of US President Barack Obama’s Caribbean Basin Security Initiative partnership which is funding six weeks training programme throughout Guyana.

So far 71 young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years old, have completed the programme. They graduated with some of the requisite skills from the “Work Readiness “ training programme and are in a position to find meaningful jobs for the first time in their lives.

Recently, a batch of 38 persons who were part of the programme at two centres in Berbice, graduated at a ceremony held at the St. Francis Community Developers (SFCD) new multimillion-dollar multipurpose training centre at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne.

The two training centres were at The All Saints Presbyterian Development Centre where 15 were trained, and at the SFCD where 23 completed the programme.

The Berbice participants now join 23 from Region Four and 10 from Aishalton in Region Nine who would have completed the programme.

The SKYE Project aims at employment, education and skills-building opportunities for at risk youths. The SKYE Project also focuses on strengthening re-integrated youth into society.

SKYE has four local partners that are responsible for the training, namely Catholic Relief Service (CRS) which works out of Region Nine, Guyana Youth Business Trust (GYBT) which works mainly in Region Ten, Volunteer Youth Corp (VYC) which operates countrywide and Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG) which also operates countrywide.

The Berbice segment of the programme was conducted by the YCG. Present at the graduation ceremony and giving remarks were coordinator of the SKYE Project, Alana Brassington; Executive Director of YCG Dmitri Nicolson; Althea Thomas and Renata Ashley who were the work readiness trainers;, Life skills and livelihood programme manager, Dwayne Mitchell of the YCG; and a representative of the private sector in Berbice- President of the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Manager of Republic Bank New Amsterdam Imran Saccoor.

The youths were presented with certificates while a few outstanding participants were presented with special prizes.

Among some of the topics covered were personal development, interpersonal communication, leadership, health and safety at work, customer care, rights and responsibilities, introduction to internship and financial fitness.

Through the assistance and the intervention of the SFCD some of the graduates have already been able to secure jobs at various agencies in the county.

The SKYE project which is a two-year programme is expected to come to an end in 2015 when more than 1500 at-risk youths in the various regions are expected to be trained.