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‘Choose to change’
GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, July 2, 2018
–– Sophia Training Centre graduates advised
FIFTY-NINE graduates of the Sophia Training Centre were on Friday last challenged to choose change in order to grow. “You have to choose to change; if you don’t change you won’t grow. Change is the one thing that is constant. Things will change and as you start to move, the path will appear as to where you want to go,” Ministry of the Presidency staffer, Shondell France told the graduates. The Graduates are all beneficiaries of the Citizens
Security Strengthening Programme (CSSP) skills training programme, 2017-2018. The training was facilitated under component one of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded programme aimed at reducing recidivism and strengthening community resilience to crime and violence. The students were tutored in catering, information technology and office administration, masonry and plumbing, sheet metal and welding, refrigeration and air conditioning, and
fabrication. Speaking of the challenges she overcame – growing up in poverty with a drug-addicted foster father, from whom her mother eventually fled in the middle of the night taking her children with her – France assured the graduates that the cycle of poverty can be broken. “Commit to constantly improving yourself, invest in yourself make the small changes. Surround yourself with people who are going where you want to go, choose to change.” In addition, France, the Ministry of the Presidency staffer encouraged the graduates to, take responsibility
for events occurring in their lives and to be willing to sacrifice to achieve their goals. She also charged them to assist others as they break the cycle of poverty. The feature address and charge to the newly certified artisans were delivered by Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan who noted that programmes similar to CSSP have helped to reduce crime and violence amongst youths in other countries. The Public Security Minister noted that the responsibility of reducing crime and violence especially at the youth level should not be shouldered by the police alone. He added
Best graduating student Avinash Seepaul addressing his fellow graduates and other invited guests that there must be a social component, a programme
cannot have monies coming in and an unskilled and un-
Best graduating student Avinash Seepaul addressing his fellow graduates and other invited guests
Second runner-up Ezekiel Roache receiving his trophy from Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan
that ensures young men and women from vulnerable communities come forward and get vocational training,” the Public Security Minister under whose purview the CSSP is situated said. In addition, Minister Ramjattan charged the graduates to continue to improve and develop their skills which he said will be in high demand as Guyana becomes an oil-producing nation. “You must now realise, that it is at the individual level, that you must endeavour to read more, to continue asking questions of the professionals so that you can learn more. Do not feel that the training is the end, there is so much more to learn. We
prepared workforce. More people will certainly buy refrigerators, more people will have air-conditioned homes and all of that … so we have to ensure now there is a workforce that will allow for qualified persons to compete for those jobs that will come on stream,” the Minister said. Meanwhile, Mariko Russel on behalf of Sophie Makonnen, IDB representative, said, “Our hope is that students graduating today will be able to use the newly acquired skills in their future endeavours in life. We are aware that merely receiving vocational training does not guarantee See page 18