THE Sophia Training Centre Wednesday held a graduation ceremony for 85 youths who successfully completed training in six areas under the Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training (YEST) Programme. The centre offers six months free-of-cost training for youths, 16 to 25, in catering, handicraft, information technology and office administration, refrigeration and air conditioning, welding and fabrication, and masonry.
The programme caters for unemployed youths and school leavers, with the aim of equipping them with a skill and making them employable.
The course comprises 65% practical and 35% theoretical work. Inclusive in the practical aspect of the training is a six – week attachment in a relevant industry.
Youths are also taught remedial mathematics and english, health education, life skills and other extra-curricular activities to ensure a rounded development.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony told the graduating class that the ministry was pleased that they stayed with the programme.
As a result of this persistence, today they could feel a sense of accomplishment, Minister Anthony said.
The staff must also be congratulated, he said, for mentoring the students for overcoming and meeting the challenges of dealing with the unique needs of each child.
It’s coincidental and unique that this graduation is taking place two days before International Youth Day, Minister Anthony observed, and he pointed to the work that the ministry is doing.
“A lot of time the work that we are doing in the ministry goes a little bit unnoticed; not many people recognise that we run quite a number of training programmes,” Minister Anthony said.
The ministry is very proud of the YEST programme, and with every passing year it is seeing tremendous improvement in the quality of these programmes offered, as well as in the number of persons who benefit from them.
The minister took the time to highlight some of the training programmes offered to the youths through the ministry, from the training at the National Museum to the Ministry’s youth health education programmes, steel pan and  dance, and art.
With respect to steel pan training, Minister Anthony said staff of his ministry are going to different communities and working with teachers in training the students to play the instrument.
The ministry has a lot to offer, but many youths are unaware of the opportunities available, he said.
“We want all of you that are here to be ambassadors of our programmes,” he told the gathering.
“You have seen what we can do in a short period of six months, so you can be advocates of our programmes, he said.
He urged the youths to let this be the beginning of the process of edifying themselves.
“Do not close off your education because you are graduating today; continue learning, because if you want to be successful in life, you have to constantly learn and adapt to new things,” he said.
Senior training Officer of the Sophia Training Centre, David Sookram, congratulated the youths and thanked the many businesses that contributed to their development and training.
The Ministry of Culture offers the YEST programme as an educational advancement to youths across the country, and has centres available in various regions. The training at these centres varies in terms of duration.
The primary centres are the Kuru Kuru Training Centre and the Sophia Training Centre. The latter centre is equipped to accommodate 120 trainees, 20 each in the six areas of training. (GINA)