MINISTER of Youth, Culture and Sports, Dr. Frank Anthony, has said his vision is to ensure that every young person who undergoes training at the Kuru Kuru Training Centre leaves with a driver’s licence along with an accredited certificate.

He said so Friday at the 13th Graduation Ceremony of the Kuru Kuru Training Centre on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway. “Little things can mean a lot for a family; things that seem to have no meaning for some of us can be transformational for a family,” Dr Anthony said as he stood before a sea of young graduates from different regions across the country.
He recalled the day when Kuru Kuru Training Centre had its first set of students graduating from the driving programme, and said he was profoundly touched when a woman stopped to shake his hands and say “Look, sir, my husband can’t drive, but my son can drive, and he is the first one to get a driver’s license in our family; and that’s a big thing for us.”
Having pursued training in business studies, carpentry, electrical installation, furniture making, garment construction, masonry, mechanics, plumbing and welding and fabrication, the 158 students had their graduation ceremony done yesterday in the training centre’s auditorium, and were added to the 1727 students that had graduated over the last decade. Also, 31 students graduated in the driving class, and received their licenses. However, one young lady outshone the others, graduating as the Kuru Kuru Training Centre’s top student for the Youth Entrepreneurial Skills Training (YEST) 2012- 2013.
Narell Henry, 22, was away from her family for ten months as she pursued training in Garment Construction. She said she was delighted at her performance, and was excited about her future in sewing.
“Graduation is, in a way, sometimes festive and sometimes mixed, because people form bonds and relationships, and when it comes to graduation time, they leave and sometimes they are not sure whether they would be meeting again,” the Minister addressed the students.
Declaring the ministry is dedicated to forming camaraderie that would last beyond the grounds of the Training Centre, Minister Dr Anthony said the YEST programme placed more emphasis on implementation of life’s values into the youths, rather than providing mere academic training. “It’s not just about the academics, though it is important; but we also try to give life values,” he asserted, expressing confidence that they will attain employment when they return to their communities.
But he declared, “We want them to be more than that! We know that they will get jobs. We want them to be examples; we want them to be role models in their communities…. If they could achieve that, then we would have done something substantial in this institution.”
“We have high expectation of our graduating class,” he added, expressing concern for the need to have more private sector participation in the programme. He said the ministry was thankful for those companies which contributed to creating opportunities for young people, and he hoped that more private sector companies would follow that path.
He also applauded the teachers for their service. “Without their input there wouldn’t have been a graduation here today,” Anthony said. He added that the ministry is working to provide a higher standard of accreditation for the centre so that students desiring to pursue advanced education would get “seamlessly’ into the other institution.
“We would like to move this institution forward,” he said, and excitement exploded in the air. “It is the desire of the ministry and the Government to see this idea unfold…maybe by the next batch of graduates.”
He also urged the students to join the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs youth entrepreneurship programme so that they could expand their knowledge. He added that Information Technology is rapidly gaining dominance in the world, and it is the Government’s aim to move Guyana from the “information dam to the information highway.”
Administrative Manager of the Kuru Kuru Training Centre, Dennis Guiness, said the centre has seen major accomplishments for 2012-2013. “Sixty-four trainees have just returned from the PYARG’s Bronze Award expedition…the garment construction class has just completed about fifty percent of the pants needed by the next batch of trainees,” were some of the achievements of the Centre, Guinness said, declaring to Minister Anthony that these were not ‘idle boasts’ but the centre had underscored the facts. He added that the students had completed over 3 million developmental projects as part of their training.
He went on to state that through collaborative efforts with the Japanese, the centre’s information technology infrastructure was able to benefit “significantly from the training and proposals of Mr. Susumu Susuki.”
He said that the success of the centre is embedded in the lives of the students. “Our weakness is evident if they fail. Every trainee must remember that his or her success, wherever they go, comes only through courage, hard work, order and discipline.”
Training Officer of the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), Floyd Scott, hailed the relationship between the centre and the company as “mutually beneficial’ and one that has created recognition for suitable human resources with the innate potential of developing into an “efficient and effective staff.”
He added that DDL was satisfied with the trainees’ determination and dedication, and therefore they have evaluated fifteen more students from the center to undergo apprenticeship at DDL.
“It is important for you, the graduating batch, to recognize that opportunities are available for you to utilize…but it is only useful if you take advantage of what you have learnt and translate it into useful work.”
“The training has not only succeeded in adding value to your lives, but also has taught you skills, attitudes and values, and has transformed you in many ways; and now you are not merely Alices in Wonderland but students that have a path and a vision…. It is a privilege to share this day with you. “