THE Office of the Prime Minister- Industry and Innovation Unit (OPM IIU) on Friday hosted a graduation ceremony for participants of its Innovation Camp at the Better Hope Community Centre on the East Coast of Demerara.
Over the course of the innovation camp, young participants had the opportunity to learn, explore, create, collaborate and most importantly, discover that they have the ability to turn an idea into something meaningful.
Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs Kwame McCoy in his speech said that the government’s investments in these camps may appear to be a simple investment. However, expending money for these camps to bring our young people together in different forms, is not limited to ICT training, but to many other spheres.
The minister said, “What we are doing here is actually deliberate; intentional on our part, unavoidable for us, because we must be able to expose all our young people to ICT skills, training opportunities, as we prepare you for the grand takeover and the role that we anticipate and we desire for all of you in this room.”
Calling it an important investment, Minister McCoy stated, “We want our children to grow; to help their dear Guyana to advance, to find a solution to issues and challenges of problems that we may have missed. We want our children to grow, to have the opportunity to improve productivity and efficiency in our various sectors and spheres of life.”
According to Minister McCoy, the government aims to expand and optimise opportunities for making money as a country and as a people. In this way, we will feed ourselves and export as well, and create efficiency around the delivery of services and goods to people through creativity, knowledge and talent.
He urged the participants to not take this opportunity for granted, as it is an opportunity that has amazing value, and adds to their empowerment as individuals and collectively as youth.
During the closing ceremony, it was mentioned that innovation begins with a simple question: a what if we could do this differently? what if we could solve this problem? or what if we could create something better?
This cohort of participants were told that this achievement marks a significant milestone in their educational journey.
Because the field of ICT is constantly evolving and expanding and creating new opportunities and challenges for professionals, youths today have unique expertise and skills to navigate this dynamic landscape and make a meaningful impact in today’s world.
Whether they’re focused on software development, networking, cyber security, or any other area within the ICT industry, they have the power to shape the future and drive innovation.
