THE Sophia Training Centre on Friday held its 25th graduation ceremony at which 129 youths received certificates for successfully completing training under the Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training (YEST) programme, complementing hundreds of others who have completed the programme.

The youths completed six months of free training at the non-residential facility located at Dennis Street, Sophia in areas such as catering, handicraft, information technology and office administration, masonry, plumbing and sheet metal, refrigeration and air conditioning, and welding and fabrication.
The programme caters for unemployed youths and school drop-outs, with an aim of equipping them with a skill, thereby making them employable. They are also taught remedial Mathematics and English, Health Education, life and communication skills and other extra-curricular activities to ensure that they are well-rounded individuals.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony congratulated the youths and urged them to move on to higher learning institutions and to pursue their career.
Dr Anthony said government recognises that education is a very important aspect of national development, while highlighting that the education sector takes up the largest chunk of the national budget.
“We recognise that if we are going to educate our people, we will have to expend some amount of money…we want to offer an alternative to the students who didn’t have a chance to finish school, and we realise that some children are more practically oriented and the Sophia Training Centre gives them a chance to learn a skill and express themselves through various techniques,” Anthony noted.
He also had the opportunity to view some of the pieces that the children created and were on display. The minister was very impressed with the creativity showcased in some of the items.

While urging the students to further their studies at higher institutions, Anthony listed some of the other programmes that the ministry has to offer in areas such as drama, arts, music and dance.
There were also two youths from the Deaf Association of Guyana who completed the catering course. Representative from the Association, Sabine Mc Intosh expressed gratitude to the institution for accepting the students and allowing them to pursue their dreams which will enable them to become employable.
The course started on September 16 last year with 150, however, only 129 endured.
Anneilia Jacobis copped best graduating student in Catering, and Madhuri Ram gained runner-up while for Handicraft, Akisha Lalloo was best graduating student and Rushell Isaacs runner-up.
In the Information Technology and Office Administration course, Nicola Prince got best graduating student and Dinnique Jaisingh runner-up. Masonry saw Jason Thomas gaining best graduating student and Jumail Major, runner-up.
The YEST programme is offered at the residential Kuru Kuru Training Centre, the non-residential Sophia Training Centre, and the Smythfield Drop-in Centre at Vryman’s Erven, New Amsterdam.
In 2013, 250 persons from the 10 Administrative regions graduated from the Kuru Kuru Training Centre, 120 from the Sophia Training Centre and 50 from Smythfield, joining the more than 2430 others who would have benefitted since the introduction of the programme in 2000.(GINA)