THREE young men from the West Coast of Demerara are now beneficiaries of an apprenticeship programme with Khan’s Construction and Transportation Service Inc. The programme was facilitated by the Guyana Police Force’s C-PETS Programme in “D” Division.

Benefiting from the two-month programme are Shawn Boodie, Hosea Harry, and Denzil Walker whom the police have shortlisted to be the first three persons to benefit from the engagement with the company. They are expected to be trained in disciplines such as bond-stocking, masonry, welding, servicing of vehicles and other skills.
Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday, Chief Executive Officer of the Company Shaffiek Khan, said that he decided to work with the young men after he had observed that they were persons who were willing to work and had the potential to learn.
He added that the initiative is one that he had always wanted to get involved in, having grown up in a poor family and at one time with his grandmother, who was left to care for him. According to Khan, he remembered the struggles he had as a young man and saw it fit to assist humanity in whatever way he could, having been brought up in a single-parent home also.
During the interview, Khan said that he has always wanted to partner with the police, since he is of the view that working with young people would ease the crime situation in the country once those persons are gainfully occupied and/ or otherwise employed, as many crimes seem to be committed by persons who are deemed unemployable.
He further stated that for years now he has been waiting to assist the police in addressing the issues of youth violence and community- related work, but that opportunity never presented itself. The three young men would be given a stipend of $25,000 a fortnight for their two-month apprenticeship. The businessman told this publication that it was his intention to accommodate more persons, but the police did not have more persons to send to him at the time.
The men commenced the training on Tuesday and according to Khan, when they are finished those who wish to remain with the company will be allowed to do so once there are vacancies; and if vacancies are not available, then he would recommend them to his colleagues in the construction industry.
In his address to the young men after he had taken them to their first day on the job, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Marlon Chapman told the young men that they ought to operate with a high level of commitment and should not at any time display any form of disrespect to their superiors on the job, or to those with whom they work.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commander, Senior Superintendent, Steven Mansell who was also present when the young men first turned out on Tuesday, reminded them that the C-PETS Programme was one which aims at bringing young people together and ensuring that they are provided with opportunities which are facilitated by the Guyana Police Force.
He echoed the sentiments of the businessman that the approach does have the potential to bring the crime rate down, not only in that division, but in other parts of the country. This coming Monday the police are expected to assign five more persons to the company, since those will be drawn from other youth groups within that police division.