OVER 448 youths in Regions Three and Five recently graduated under the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) National Training Project for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE), a competency-based vocational training for employment.

In addition, through a collaborative effort with the Office of the First Lady, another 43 young people graduated from the First Lady’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) workshop last week.

The Region Three graduation was held at the Leonora Technical and Vocational Training Centre and a total of 271 youths received certificates in various fields.
These include carpentry, motor vehicle servicing, electrical installation, metal work engineering, welding, plumbing, garment construction, information technology, data operation and general office administration.

The graduates in Region Five received certificates in the fields of motor vehicle servicing, electrical installation, welding, plumbing, data operation and general office administration.
This graduation was held at the Mahaicony Technical & Vocational Training Centre.
At the Leonora graduation, Regional Executive Officer Dennis Jaikarran delivered the main address and urged the graduating class to put their skills to good use.

“The training programmes offered by BIT would have enabled you to develop skills, knowledge and attitudes, and as such, you should use those attributes to develop a disciplined lifestyle. There is a need for a process of introspection before and after this programme; the progress you have made and how these skills would benefit you in the future,” he said.

Vice-chairman of the region, Sheik Ayube, echoed Jaikarran’s sentiments while Regional Educational Officer Anessta Douglas encouraged the former students to love their country.
“Guyana is ours, you need to embrace our rich culture and diversity, embrace each other so that we can push Guyana forward,” he said.

Over at Region Five, secretary of the regional executive officer Teressa Samuels-Jordan told the graduands to continue elevating themselves.

“Don’t let your newly acquired skills be the end of your walk to higher learning, but let it be the pathway to a higher degree of learning,” she said.

Regional Education Officer of Region Five, Deon Lyn Lewis-Clarke also expressed similar sentiments while Chief Executive Officer/Secretary to the Board of Industrial Training Richard Maughn encouraged the graduands to become engaged in positive economic activities.

“Use your skill in ICT to further develop yourself by making use of online educational opportunities; use the media-age platform to obtain employment, embrace self-employment opportunities and where ever you are employed; endeavour to be an effective worker,” Maughn urged.