150 youth benefited from ‘job readiness’ summer camp

Some 150 youths benefited from a ‘job readiness’ summer camp hosted by the Specialists in Sustained Youth Development and Research Inc (SSYDR) in partnership with ExxonMobil Guyana to the tune of $12 million.

The summer camp, called ‘Employment Attack 102’, was held over two months and targeted children from secondary schools within Regions 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10.

According to a press release, ‘Employment Attack 102’ was conceptualized as a program aimed to reduce youth unemployment and poverty by giving the candidates the essential skills and training needed to compete for jobs and hold them.

The camp comprised two components: work ready training and coaching towards livelihood opportunities.

In the first instance, youth were trained in a seven module work ready curriculum. The seven modules were Personal Development, Interpersonal Communication, Work Habits and Conduct, Leadership and Teamwork, Safety and Health at Work, Rights and Responsibilities of Workers and Employers and Financial Fitness.

In the other case, coaches worked with youth using the asset based approach. Each youth, along with their coach, developed an ‘Individual livelihood plan’ known as News Release the ILP. Youth had the opportunity of deciding on their short and long term goals and working out how they were going to achieve those goals. The entire program aimed to provide youth with the right attitudes to work so as to give them the opportunity to find and keep employment.

According to the press release, this is the second year that ExxonMobil Guyana has worked with SSYDR.

SSYDR Inc. was birthed out of the President Obama’s led Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. This was implemented by the internationally acclaimed Education Development Center (EDC) through a five year funded USAID Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE) Project.