GOVERNMENT’s commitment to youth empowerment, development and personal advancement is beyond question. The administration’s comprehensive programmes and initiatives are clearly aimed at elevating our youth, giving them the knowledge, skills, and motivation to create better lives for themselves; adequately provide for their families; positively contribute to the development of their communities, and, thereby, have good, satisfying lives.

Since the youth of today will be the leaders of tomorrow, the administration’s determination to focus on Guyana’s young people not only makes sense, but is vital to the security of the future of our country.

The fact is self-evident that an educated, qualified, empowered young person is more likely to obtain a satisfying, stable, secure, and well-paying job than one who lacks skills which are in demand by society. President David Granger evidently recognises the importance of having good jobs. It should be noted that a good job not only refers to working for a big company, but it also includes having what it takes to start a business and be successful at it.
His Excellency has repeatedly emphasised that the future of any society is heavily dependent on the actions of its young people. The president said too, “We inherited [Guyana] from our forefathers and we must pass it on to you [young people], who will inherit this land and we must not destroy it; and when you get it you must not destroy it, but protect it and pass it on to your children too.”

In the case of Guyana, with our geographically, politically, ethnically, and culturally diverse circumstances, government has a duty to ensure that all the country’s youth, across all regions, have equitable opportunities to contribute to the development of their communities, regions, and ultimately the nation. And the APNU+AFC administration is certainly taking action to ensure that Guyana’s youth are equipped to obtain good jobs.
President David Granger’s visionary approach, of course, emphasises education. A record $170 billion has been invested with a further $52 billion allocated for 2019. Those, and similar investments are already bearing fruit; some 15,000 jobs have been created so far through GO-Invest programmes alone. 1,800 new teachers have been trained. The President’s innovative 5Bs programme has provided 1,400 bikes, 29 buses and 10 boats for school transportation. That transformative undertaking now allows thousands of hinterland children to attend school daily. Those children now have the opportunity to have productive lives through secure employment when they grow up. Since taking office, the APNU+AFC administration has reduced the school-dropout rate by some 58 per cent in the case of primary schools, and 25 per cent in secondary schools.

Children who may be less academically inclined are not being left out; some 25,000 youths have received training, or are being trained in everything from carpentry to robotics, welding to financial literacy–and progress continues.

Investing in Guyana’s young people is vital to our country’s future development. No amount of oil money can ensure that citizens have a good life if our population is illiterate. As it is, our young people are being afforded the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills, and wisdom to prudently manage Guyana’s affairs; we simply cannot afford to go backward. Together, we must continue to work to keep Guyana moving forward.