Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, yesterday encouraged the 92 graduates of the Ninth Module One Youth Leadership Training Programme to take up frontline leadership.
According to a Ministry of the Presidency statement, Ally gave this charge at the programme’s Closing Ceremony held at the Madewini Training Centre, which has recently undergone a $40M renovation. It now has the capacity to house 210 students, the statement said. A new girl’s dorm was built, along with two staff quarters. The boy’s dorm, four staff quarters, mess hall and the lecture hall have all been refurbished.
Speaking to the recent batch of graduates, Ally said, “Now that you are equipped with the knowledge, the skills, etcetera, you have to now make good of applying them. I charge you to be visible in your organisation, in your community, in your region and, ultimately, in your country… Be part of community development groups. Subscribe to frontline leadership – I mean move forward and be recognised. Give leadership, don’t take a back seat. Use your communication skills to proffer your vision for success.”
Advisor on Youth Empowerment within the Ministry of the Presidency, Aubrey Norton said that the programme aims to give youth a voice through which they can impact their communities.
“This programme is in keeping with the National Youth Policy, which has as its priority the training of young people so that they can represent themselves in communities. It is a fact that we sometimes take too long to train young people and by the time they arrive in a [professional] position, they have little or no training. This programme is an attempt to change that,” he said, according to the Ministry of the Presidency.
Senior Training and Education Officer, Ronald Austin Jr. said that the programme was founded as a solution to feedback from various youth leaders across the country, who identified a need for direction in order to make a lasting impact.
Linden graduate, Luela Figueira said that what Guyanese youth need the most from their leaders is a listening ear. “I believe [that] if they see someone that listens to them and [takes] their opinions and their feelings and experience[s]… and [in turn gives] them something that they really need… their more likely to [rally behind] that person… If we are fostered correctly right now, we have more of a fighting chance to succeed,” she said, according to the release.
