– as National Youth Week gets underway from Saturday

SOME 5,000 young people will be able to contribute their ideas for solutions to some of Guyana’s challenges as part of activities organised for National Youth Week which begins on Saturday.

“The Guyana National Youth Week seeks to provide a platform for young people to be united and address the many challenges affecting the society at large,” Assistant Director of Youth, Leslyn Boyce said.

This year, the theme for the week of activities is: “Inspire and build resilient youth.” The events for the week are focused on specific objectives, geared at the overall promotion and empowerment of young people to participate in national and community-focused decision-making.

“It is also hoped that National Youth Week will bring to focus the various trainings offered by TVET institutions through the Department of Youth and the National Youth Corps,” Boyce said.

When questioned about the focus on TVET, she explained that the Department of Youth has been working to ensure the programmes offered at TVET institutions are accredited.

“We are raising awareness to say to them that the certificates that you are getting from these institutions are not another certificate, it is a certificate that adds value, it is accredited and hence we want to raise awareness that come May/June when we want to begin recruitment, they will be more comfortable joining or enrolling in our institutions,” she said.

With the imminent oil and gas industry set to begin production in 2020, much focus has been directed to training for the sector through TVET. And since this specific industry is one which demands accredited certification as a prerequisite, the department is seeking to get youth up to task.

GREATEST ASSET
“Youth are our greatest asset, they represent the future and it is therefore incumbent on the government through the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport as well as concerned stakeholders to ensure that their needs are met,” Boyce said.

The week of activities will also zero in on raising awareness on Guyana’s territorial integrity, mental health and youth unemployment.

“We are again trying to create a nationalistic view among our young people… camaraderie… to solve issues internally and externally,” Project Officer at the Youth Department, Germaine Watson explained.

The week of activities will commence on Saturday with a rally, exhibition and concert in Region Six which will focus directly on mental health.

“The whole concept of the rally, exhibition and concert is to bring awareness, of mental health. Not just that it is an issue, and it is being covered,” Planning Committee Member of the Department of Youth, Ewin Enmore said.

He also said youths from New Amsterdam Prison will be involved in the day’s event in an attempt to show that despite being institutionalised, all young people can contribute meaningfully to society.

Senior Research, Planning and Development Officer, Adeti De Jesus noted that another of the major events of the week will be the round-table discussion on youth unemployment, which will be held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Tuesday.

Here, scores of young people alongside representatives of various large youth organisations across the country will be provided with the opportunity to share their views and suggestions on youth unemployment in Guyana.

Importantly, she shared the youth department will document the discussions had and suggestions proffered and a report will be presented to Social Cohesion Minister, Dr. George Norton and Youth Affairs Minister Simona Broomes for further action.

“It is hoped that through the weeks of activities, young people will be better informed of their role in national development and inspired to get involved,” Boyce underscored.