Today, the Youth Apprenticeship Program graduated its 7th intake of students.
When the program started in November 2010, it was conceived as a second chance opportunity for at-risk youths who dropped out of the formal education system, and wanted to get their lives back on track.
Today, 150 who spent the last 6 months under the tutelage of coordinator Diane Finnegan and her team, graduated at a ceremony held at the Princess Ramada Hotel. Here's what Education Minister Patrick Faber told them during the Keynote Address:
Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
"One of the reasons why I come to these graduation ceremony, well apart from the fact that Ms. Diane refuses to have them until I am available to come, is that I get a shot, an injection, an infusion of motivation in the work that I do. When I am able to sit, watch and hear the success stories of our young people whom many, at one point or the other in their lives, are said wouldn't amount to anything productive in
our society. When you see them being productive, that's an injection, an infusion of motivation for all of us in the Belizean society. So I want to ask you today to give these young people a warm round of applause in support for what they've done. Not because they made mistakes, not because they got a bit side tracked from what they wanted to do initial, not because they were not given the support initially in whatever it is they were seeking to do, means they are good for nothing else? They can be great tremendous success stories, and again for the critics who say 'yeah we gave them a little time and we supported them for 6 months, what's next?' because that's the favourite thing. In Belize we have a very pessimistic society quite often, rather we look to see the success, and we look to see how they will fail because we try. It is important, young people, for you to make sure that you do well with what is being offered to silence those people who are criticizing us, those people who are saying that we're not good enough on the south side of Belize City, because I believe that most of you are from the south side. I am a south side representative, we want to uplift our people."
According to Coordinator Diane Finnegan, about 500 persons sign up for every intake, but the program can only cater to 150 at a time at maximum capacity.
