-The certificate will lead to employment – First Lady Sandra Granger

By: Indrawattie Natram

THIRTY-NINE adolescent and out-of-school youths hailing from 12 communities in Region Two, on Monday, graduated from an Information Communication Technology (ICT) workshop sponsored by the Office of the First Lady, Sandra Granger, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Cohesion and the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

Participants were trained in ICT, Literacy, Numeracy, Entrepreneurship, Sexual Reproductive Health, and Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). During the graduation, participants received a BIT accredited certificate signed by the First Lady herself.

Addressing participants of the programme in the auditorium of the Anna Regina Multilateral School (ARMS), the First Lady said that the certificate will lead graduates to employment and will open opportunities for those who pursued the courses. Mrs. Granger congratulated all the participants and said she was impressed with the performance and pass rates for the courses. The First Lady also mentioned that Guyana was moving at a fast pace and it was important for young people to equip themselves with the necessary ICT skills. She, therefore, encouraged young people to enroll in the programme and to enhance their skills in the field.

She also used the opportunity to thank the Ministry of Social Cohesion for funding the workshops and for providing the necessary resources needed to empower the youths. Mrs. Granger also thanked the Regional Executive Officer, Mr. Denis Jaikarran, for organizing and mobilizing the youths in his area.

“You can use the skills gained to further enhance your lives… help your family. Essequibo has great Agriculture potential… use technology to improve your livelihood,” Mrs. Granger said.

Delivering the feature address was Deputy Chairman of BIT, Mr. Donald Ainsworth who said the accredited certificate will enable youths to become more marketable in society.
“The certificate that you are uplifting has real value. Use it to enhance your life,” Ainsworth said.

Jaikarran said that Region Two has set the bar for the classes achieving higher pass rates than other regions. He told participants the skills they gained from the workshop will be lifelong ones and urged them to multiply them. He thanked the Office of the First Lady for making the workshop available in his region.