THE SOPHIA Training Centre, under the purview of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, will be commencing the non-residential Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training (YEST) programme on February 7. Assistant Director of Youth, Devanand Ramdatt, told the Government Information Agency (GINA) in a recent interview that of the 118 applications received from youths between the ages of 16 and 25, a total of 106 will be participating in the programme.
The YEST programme seeks to provide opportunities for youths to develop their talents through engagement in cultural and sporting activities, and tutelage in confidence building, and entrepreneurial skills so that they may become well-rounded individuals.
The objectives of the programme are to provide education and training to youths from all ten administrative regions of Guyana, and encourage interaction among youths from various environments.
Additionally, it prepares students to enter the job market through work attachment in various agencies, and provides opportunities for trainees to participate, and develop their talents, in cultural activities, sports and confidence building.     
The six-month programme will include various subject areas, including catering, office administration, information technology, refrigeration, AC repairs, welding, fabrication, handicraft and masonry.
Ramdatt said the Ministry had a target of at least 100 youths to enter the programme this year, and that he was satisfied that the number has been met.
Government has always placed major emphasis on youth empowerment by educating and equipping them with the required skills and knowledge to secure their future livelihoods.
In 2010, 570 young people were trained through the YEST programme, and this year, government is targeting over 700 more.(GINA)