IN keeping with its commitment to enhance the opportunities available to young people, the Government of Guyana has allocated $1.7B on youth programmes.
Additionally, the Government has allocated funds to be given to varying youth and educational facilities as subventions for 2018.

Among those benefiting are the Bina Hill Institute which has a Youth Learning Centre aimed at building the capacity of youth of the North Rupununi and Guyana by developing leadership skills, fostering a love for the indigenous culture and management of the environment, while expanding upon the existing social and cultural frameworks, thus preparing them for life in an ever-changing world.

Government has allocated $50M for the institute which focuses on training youth in natural resource management, forestry, wildlife management, agriculture, tourism, business studies, life skills, traditional skills, basic computer skills, mathematics and English, among other areas.
The Adult Education Association has been allocated $38, 408, 00, an increase of approximately $13M from last year’s $25, 356,000, while the Critchlow Labour College has once again been allocated a $15M subvention.

The Kuru Kuru Cooperative College has been allocated $30, 735,000 in comparison to last year’s $23, 642,000.
Meanwhile, the Boy Scouts and Red Cross Association have been allocated $200,000 each, while the Girl Guides Association and the Mildred Mansfield Youth Club have both been allocated $50,000 in the 2018 budget.

A proposal for $60,000 has been made for the West End Committee in next year’s budget, while the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) has been allocated $100,000, the National Youth Commission, $400,000, the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), $1, 100,000 and the Salvation Army (Drug Rehab Programme), $10M.
Finance Minister Winston Jordan during the presentation of the 2018 budget last Monday said globally, young people are increasingly recognised as crucial partners for development and have the power to shape the future, not only for themselves, but, also, for their organisations, communities and country.

“In Guyana, our young men and women are calling for meaningful civic, economic, social and political participation. In response, Government has crafted a multi-faceted, multi-tiered and multi-agency approach to create the enabling environment through which our youth can express their multi-talented capabilities, capacities and values in a wide and varied cross-section of endeavours,” he stated.

Jordan acknowledged that youths represent a significant proportion of Guyana’s population and that the future success and growth of Guyana depends on how equipped this section of the population is to handle emerging and future challenges.
He said his government stands resolutely to ensure that concerted efforts are made in satisfying the needs of our young people.

“In this regard, government‘s approach to the development of our young people is based on the twin pillars of youth empowerment; and youth employment and entrepreneurship,” he told the National Assembly.