YOUNG people are considered the wealth of a nation; and cognisant of their role in the future development of themselves, families and country, the Administration continues to pave the way for their development, so as to prepare them for the world of work through the creation of learning institutes and training centres.

The Kuru Kuru Training College (KKTC) is one institution that has been providing a range of skills for hundreds of youths, drawn from all the administrative regions of the country.
This year, 207 youths have been admitted to the centre to pursue training at the residential facility, located on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, according to Assistant Director of Youth, Davenand Ramdatt.
They will now join the 1,727 others who would have benefited since the introduction of the Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training (YEST) programme in 2000.
The programme provides out-of-school, unskilled and unemployed youths with continuing education, and skills which are fully accredited and equated to Caribbean vocational qualifications. This programme is a unit under the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport which aims primarily to prepare participants for entry into other institutions of learning, employment in private or public sectors, and self-employment. Students are attached to work sites, and often benefit from employment with the same entities.
As part of their curriculum, students would also assist with maintenance works at Uncle Eddie’s Home and help the elderly within the Kuru Kuru neighbourhood.
Over the past five years, KKTC facilities have improved significantly with the acquisition of a generator which provides two hours of electricity to students at night to complete their homework.
Water, once sourced from a creek, is now supplied via an artesian well.
The Youth Ministry has also been collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Food for the Poor and other partners to construct new dormitories and classrooms, and engage in rehabilitation works.
Through acquisition of funding from Food for the Poor Guyana Inc, the centre and other partners constructed a 30X60-foot chicken coop, and purchased a vehicle which is utilised for driving lessons. A fully equipped computer lab has also been constructed.
The students are subjected to practical and continuous assessments, with a final test being administered at the end of the training cycle.  Additionally, students are required to attain at least 85 percent attendance in order to be evaluated and given their certificates at the conclusion of training courses.
KKTC and the Sophia Training Centre in Georgetown are proof of government’s attention being placed on youths, to provide them with skills training and continuing education.
Skills areas offered at KKTC include: Business studies, carpentry, electrical installation, joinery, masonry, motor mechanics, plumbing, welding and fabrication, and garment construction.
During the ten-month period of attendance at the college, students are trained in the skill of their choice. Uniform, meals, a monthly stipend, counselling/guidance, sports, culture and health benefits are also offered to students.
The Sophia Training Centre accepts youths between the age of 16 and 17 years, who must complete the entry-level test before being selected to pursue the training. As many as 100 youths are trained over a six-month period in the following skills: Catering and home management, office administration and information technology, refrigeration and air conditioning, handicraft, welding and fabrication, and masonry.
Students from this programme are engaged in a four-week attachment to an agency towards the end of their training.
Testimonies from past students have shown that they have become meaningfully engaged, with a fair number forming their own small business establishments.