REPUBLIC Bank last week Friday welcomed its eleventh batch of apprentices under its Youth Link Apprenticeship programme.

The ceremony was held at the Republic Bank Head Office, New Market Street, Georgetown.
The fifteen young men and women were chosen from schools across the country and will be placed across the Bank’s network of Branches where they will experience classroom and on-the-job training. During the seven-month period, the apprentices will be trained in banking operations and have the opportunity to learn and understand the needs of the less fortunate via the community initiative styled ‘Care-A-Van’ aspect of the apprenticeship programme. A day of fun and relaxation will also be part of the Youth Link experience.

Upon completion of the programme, successful apprentices will receive the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) from the Caribbean Association of National Training Agencies (CANTA) through the Council for Technical & Vocational Training (CTVET). With this qualification, the apprentices will be eligible for jobs within the Caricom Region.

In a release the Bank said the programme was introduced in Guyana in 2008 after being part of the Republic Bank Limited, Trinidad and Tobago Power to Make a Difference initiative for over twenty years. The programme was developed to bridge the gap between the end of the participants’ school life and the start of their career.

The programme is geared to guide the apprentices through a process of personal and professional growth and will teach the youths valuable skills for professional and social development, thus making them more marketable in their career pursuits.