OVER the past few weeks, preparations have been intensified for the upcoming launch of the Guyana Youth Service (GYS), which will be hosted at the Kuru-Kuru Training Centre within the coming months.

On Friday last, Minister of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. George Norton and Minister of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry, conducted a site visit of the facility.

This visit included inspections to ensure that all measures are in place to efficiently execute the launch, which will include approximately 1000 youths from all across Guyana. Additionally, Minister Norton on Monday last met with officers of the Youth Department to ensure that all logistics are in place for transporting and accommodating persons from outlying areas who will be attending.

Director of Youth, Ms. Melissa Carmichael, indicated that participants of the launch will be drawn from the list of persons currently awaiting entry into the many youth progammes being offered by the government via various ministries.

“Following the launch, these persons will be immediately accepted to the progammes that they would’ve applied to, and training under the Guyana Youth Service will commence in a more unified and structured manner,” Ms. Carmichael said.

The GYS was designed as a comprehensive approach to address the myriad of problems facing Guyana’s youths. This process entails the development of a system which integrates many discrete institutions and human and physical resources into a holistic plan for the development of youth. In addition, the GYS will seek to ensure that all youths benefit from the same level of training and receive equally impactful certifications from various agencies. As such, the GYS will comprise a number of campuses and training centres that will operate from various geographical locations in collaboration with the relevant national and regional state institutions.

The Government of Guyana is confident that the GYS will educate, train, empower and promote social cohesion among young people, while contributing to the sustainable development of Guyana.