THE Roadside Baptist Church Skills Training Centre in Corentyne, Berbice on Saturday hosted its 20th graduation ceremony. About 100 of the graduates were primarily teenagers who pursued training in Information Technology shortly after sitting the Caribbean Exaninations Council (CXC) examinations.

The batch also included teenagers who took advantage of the second opportunity to prepare for CXC Mathematics and English.  
The programme is certified by the Adult Education Association of Guyana.
Additionally, 50 persons including both adults and teenagers benefited from training in Gender-Based Violence, and they too graduated on Saturday.
The Gender-Based Violence Project entitled “Engaging Men and Boys, traditional leaders and community initiatives in addressing and preventing Gender Based Violence and HIV/AIDS” is supported by the United States Agency for International Development and the Civil Society and Democracy Strengthening Project (USAID/CSDS).
The centre also offers other educational components that include Remedial Education, Basic English and Mathematics and Technical and Vocational Skills Training, particularly for school dropouts and disadvantaged women.
The centre has recently completed the training of 26 single parents with support from the Board of Industrial Training (BIT). The current batch of the Remedial Education Programme has about 38 learners and the Adult Functional Literacy Programme has two.
The event was graced by members of the diplomatic corps, and regional and government officials. Among those present were Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, Executive Director of the Adult Education Association of Guyana, Ms. Patricia David, Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne)  Chairman,  Mr. David Armogan, Deputy Head of Mission for the US Embassy, Mr. Thomas Pierce, and Head of the Research Unit of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr. Clement Henry.
Ms. Manickchand in her address highlighted how important it is for young people to be educated. She said that the graduates can now secure a job which will be for the betterment of their entire families because it will add to the number of breadwinners in the home. She also encouraged the students to further their studies and take this course as the first step toward advancing their education.
The event was chaired by Mrs. Patricia Bisnauth, wife of the late late former Education Minister and Reverend, Dr Dale Bisnauth who was supportive of this programme.
The centre has been working to improve the lives of many young people, providing a second chance to school dropouts and teenage parents so that they too can have a good future. (GINA)