– 55 youths graduate with entrepreneurial skills

GOVERNMENT has recognised the need for skills and job readiness training to open economic opportunities for youths while lessening their vulnerability to the allure of criminality, according to Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan.

The Public Security Minister made this remark during his address on Friday at the Citizen Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP) graduation and award ceremony for 55 youths who completed an entrepreneurial skills training course.

The nine-month course concluded with a simple ceremony held at the Police Officers’ Training Centre, Camp Road, Georgetown.

Minister Ramjattan noted that the youths were selected from nine communities namely: Albouystown, South and North Ruimveldt, West Ruimveldt, Mocha, Sophia, Haslington, Enmore and Buxton.

The youths, he said, were trained in masonry, business, information technology, welding, plumbing and sheet metal, Air Conditioning and refrigeration, and catering.
He noted that there is a direct correlation between illiteracy, unemployment and crime.
Ramjattan emphasised that the CSSP is focused on mobilising communities to support youths by reducing the factors which contribute to criminal behaviour while strengthening the protective factors.

“Most concerting is the fact that the faces of crime and violence in a substantial way are those of adolescence and youths who are both perpetrators and victims who should be in school or otherwise gainfully occupied,” Ramjattan said.

Best graduating trainee and valedictorian, Joel Primo, in his remarks, said the nine-months course was a challenge but it was worth it, since the instructors made the course exceptional.

“I promise we will use the knowledge that we gained over the past nine months to encourage and educate other youths on the benefits of the programme as we aim to have more positive youths in our society,” the valedictorian said.

Primo also thanked all the ministers and Ministry of Public Security for providing the opportunity for the batch to evolve in their skillsets.

The minister also noted that under the community component of the CSSP, 1200 at-risk youths were drawn from 20 communities in regions Three, Four, Five, Six and 10.
The youths, he said, will be supported through vocational skills training to increase their options for employment or entrepreneurship. He further explained that throughout the duration of the programme, the youths also benefitted from other forms of support including literacy, psychosocial, parenting, conflict resolution, job readiness and entrepreneurial training and capacity building.