-Minister Baksh
EDUCATION Minister Shaik Baksh has said that attention will be paid to the development of a programme of entrepreneurship at secondary schools and technical institutions to better prepare students for the world of work on completion of their studies.

He made the disclosure at the recent launching of the Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited third annual Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.

The minister pointed out that the move is part of a wider initiative to reform and modernize the learning curriculum to cater for the diverse needs and abilities of students.

Baksh, who said the objective is to prepare students with the requisite attitude, knowledge and deportment to adapt and function effectively in the work environment, had expressed similar sentiments to governments in the region in his capacity as Chairman of the 20th Council for Human and Social Development (COSHOD) of the Caribbean Community caucus held at the same venue over a week ago.

At that forum, he emphasized the need for Governments to invest in youth development, which he said was a critical imperative that could not be ignored, in light of the dismal realities of the situation of Caribbean youth as chronicled in the report of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development.

He told the gathering at the launch, which included students and top officials of Republic Bank, including Managing Director John Alves, that the bank’s gesture is a worthy investment as it complements the work of the government to help young people realise their full potential.

The seven months apprenticeship programme involving 25 students from Georgetown, Berbice, Uitvlugt, Anna Regina and Linden, seeks to bridge the gap between the classroom and the world of work and to equip participants with basic training and marketing skills in business related disciplines in order to improve their career options.

Some 243 students have benefitted from the programme since its introduction some two years ago. The Ministry of Education also has a work study attachment programme catering for Grade 11 students, and Baksh expressed the view that the programme should include Grade 10 students.

He called on other corporate members in the private sector to emulate the gesture of Republic Bank, pointing out that a lack of investment in youths is a known contributing factor to crime and other social ills in society.

These come at a high cost to the government and often compete against other pressing issues of national interests.
The Minister also lauded the drive by the bank to promote the steel pan in schools, noting that it harmonizes with his ministry’s efforts to produce well-rounded students in the school system.

The aim, he said, is to ensure that students complete secondary school equipped with a quality education and the mindset to further their personal and professional development.

On that note, Baksh said that since the Secondary Competency Certificate Programme (SCCP) was introduced some two years ago, there has been a decline in the number of students dropping out from school, and he stressed that no drop-out was recorded at three schools in Georgetown over the past year.