Government plans to improve infrastructure and introduce more skills programmes at the Kuru Kuru Training Centre, testimony to its commitment to the development of youths in Guyana.

Minister of Culture Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, reminded students of the Kuru Kuru training Centre of the development plans at the centre’s annual luncheon.

A dorm decoration competition and upgrading of several facilities in and around the training centre by students were done prior to the luncheon.

Minister Anthony noted that the institution stands to benefit from new vocational courses which will come on stream in 2010, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and other institutions.

Minister Anthony said that his Ministry will continue to work with the Education Ministry to expand the variety of courses offered at the Kuru Kuru Training Centre.

The centre provides training to students from across the regions, and according to Minister Anthony, it is a great place for social and multi-cultural interaction and unity.

Students of the Kuru Kuru Training Centre at the annual Christmas luncheon.

Minister Anthony urged students to remain committed to the institution and the training provided since it is a guaranteed career-oriented incentive.

The training is a stepping stone for the furthering of one’s education and can lead to diploma or degree programmes at tertiary institutions.

“We are working on accrediting our certificates that we are offering so that it can now become a stepping stone, so you can get exemptions when you enter other institutions,” he said.

While Government is investing huge sums in the Amerindian communities; providing tractors, ATVs and boat engines for their development, these communities lack the capacity for skilled persons to maintain such equipment. With this in mind, two more courses will be added to the curriculum to benefit hinterland students.

“Government’s vision for the institution is to transform it into a premier institution in terms of technical education,” Minister Anthony said.

He urged students to use the training gained from the programme to improve and better the lives of their families and to help develop their respective communities.

“The programme is geared at making you a holistic person, one that can make a tangible contribution to the development of our country,” he said.

Permanent Security of the Amerindian Affairs Ministry, Nigel Dharamlall, who was at the luncheon, said that the Ministry is proud to be part of the Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training (YEST) programme, and urged students to use the opportunity to learn and appreciate the diverse culture of their peers.

Efforts to improve the institution and its services will include the expansion of the library and the construction of a modern computer laboratory.

The institution provides training for students between the ages of 16 to 25 at various levels in areas such as welding, fabrication, motor vehicle repair, electrical installation, carpentry and masonry and other technical training.

More than 200 youths from across the country began their ten-month residential skills training at the centre under the YEST programme in September. At the end of their training, the students are expected to develop self-reliance and entrepreneurial techniques.

The Kuru Kuru and Sophia training centres are two institutions through which President Bharrat Jagdeo’s dream of uniting thousands of youths from different ethnicities and religions will be realised.