THIRTY-TWO young men and women have emerged better equipped to face the world of work after completing the seventh Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme at Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited. The apprenticeship period commenced on November 03, 2014 and concluded on May 30, 2015.

Republic Bank, in a statement to the media, said this is the first batch of Apprentices to receive a National Vocational Qualification Certificate as a Certified Bank Clerk issued by the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training which can be used when seeking employment for certain entry level jobs.

The Apprentices were exposed to early insight into the work environment and this is expected to boost their marketability among other things as they embark on their individual career pursuits.

They were assigned across Republic Bank’s Branch Network and benefited from professional development in office procedures, personal development, banking operations, customer service and computing.

During the period, the Apprentices were also exposed to a community outreach styled Care-A-Van which enabled the group to experience a period of care giving with the children at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre and an interactive session on First Aid facilitated by the Guyana Red Cross Society.

They also prepared a Business Proposal and did a presentation to a panel of judges on a topic of their choice, selected from the following:

* Youth Link Apprenticeship – An Experience
* Discrimination, Who Should Fight It
* Entering the World of Work
* Entrepreneurship and what it means for Industries in the Caribbean
* Health and Wellness
* Pornography – How bad is it?
* The Evolution of Fashion – The Guyana Context

* Education at the Secondary Level – A Business Perspective
The group also enjoyed a day of fun and relaxation with a guided tour along the Essequibo River with stops at Fort Island, Bartica and the Baganara Island Resort.

The Graduation Ceremony was held last week at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown where Dr. Marlon Hestick, Motivational Speaker delivered the motivational address.

The Special Performance Awards were presented as follows:

Best All Rounder – Cassandra Sunthgolam
Best Business Proposal – Hugh Babb
Most Disciplined Apprentice – Cassandra Sunthgolam
Most Improved Apprentice – Nikita Emmanuel
Most Effective Presentation – Cassandra Sunthgolam
Most Congenial Apprentice – Crystel Rodney

The Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme was first introduced in Guyana in 2008 primarily to bridge the gap between the end of the participants’ school life and the start of their career.

For more information on Republic Bank, visit: www.republicguyana.com