Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 20, 2019 News
Some $119 million was disbursed to youths who participated in the Hinterland Employment Youth Service [HEYS] programme in Region 10.
This disclosure was made by Coastal Monitor, Neil Persaud, as he addressed HEYS participants from cohort one and two during a recent one-day training session.
The programme, which is funded through the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, targets youths between 16 to 35 years old, while providing them with required skills and knowledge to start their own businesses.
Addressing participants at the Coomacka Community Centre, Persaud revealed that the Programme has been very successful since its implementation in Region 10, back in 2017 – commencing in August 2017 and culminating in July 2018.
Persaud said 10 villages participated in the programme, with a total of 190 individuals being enrolled. He noted that through the programme, participants received a grant along with a stipend for one year. This translated to each participant receiving a $50,000 grant to start their respective business and a $30,000 monthly stipend for the one-year period.
According to the Coastal Monitor, 182 youths received grants in Region 10, of which 169 completed the programme. Further, he noted that a total of 138 businesses were established, adding that there was a dropout rate of 11 percent.
“This demonstrated that while 11 percent of persons dropped out, 89 percent of those persons successfully completed. That indicates that it was a very successful programme which indicates that our youths are indeed serious about developing themselves,” he said.
He noted that studies have found that it takes three years for businesses to develop, thus the Government remains committed and dedicated in ensuring that youths from the programme receive the required training and support to ensure that their businesses can become very successful.
“Through these training programmes it allows us to give you some more encouragement, knowledge and information, to become better business persons, so as to help with the development of the community and the nation at large,” he said.
The HEYS programme in Region 10 was catered to by 20 facilitators, and according to Persaud, the response by villages and persons was indeed very good.
“Several villages mobilised the youths, while a number of persons came to us enquiring how they could get involved in the programme, as it was one of the most sought after programmes in the country. There continues to be a great demand for the continuation of the HEYS programme, and this speaks to the effectiveness of the programme,” Persaud asserted.
He pointed out that employment was created, while economic development also took place, spurred by the $119M disbursed to the participants.
The Coastal Monitor said too that a comparison was done with international organisations, which revealed that only 35 percent of businesses that received grants remained after a year, noting that a review of Region 10’s figures revealed over 50 percent remained.
Moreover, Persaud urged the youths to remain inspired and motivated, as he reminded them that they need to remain focused on their dreams and visions, in order to be better business persons who help to develop their communities. He pointed out that a number of the female participants have been employing their spouses – a move which will help to further boost the economy. He said too that a number of grandmothers and grandfathers are being employed, as participants aggressively seek to develop their businesses.
As a result of HEYS’ implementation, Persaud said that a number of communities have been able to reverse the trend of unemployment they once faced.
In reviewing the success of the programme in Region 10, Persaud said that the councillors in the region have lent, and continue to lend valuable support and assistance to participants, thus resulting in its success.
He revealed that recently Parliament approved an additional $50,000 to persons who are part of cohort one and two of the programme, even as he stressed that the vision of President David Granger is to further empower youths to become self-sustainable. He assured participants that assistance would be given to them with bottling, packaging, labelling, and most importantly, marketing their products.
Meanwhile, Regional Executive Officer [REO], Orrin Gordon, stressed that development continues in Region 10, disclosing that his region funded some 33 projects totalling some $54M, which was executed in the riverain communities within the Region.
“Other than the HEYS programme, there are added development projects taking place within the region. Many persons have this concept that Linden is Region 10, but we must understand that Linden is just 55 square miles, while Region 10 is 6,555 square miles, so we can see that it is much bigger than Linden,” he declared.
Gordon congratulated those responsible for executing the HEYS programme in Region 10, even as he urged the participants to remain dedicated to the programme. He reminded them too that the knowledge, skills and support gain from the programme will certainly help to boost their entrepreneurial skills.
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