Georgetown, Guyana – U.S. Ambassador D. Brent Hardt joined representatives of the Government of Guyana, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations for the inauguration of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Coaches Training Workshop for the Skills and Knowledge for Youth Employment (SKYE) Project.  The training will ensure the SKYE project personnel are equipped with the skills needed to assist at-risk youth in finding employment opportunities, participating in Guyana’s labor force, and contributing to the country’s economic growth.  The program is designed to divert at-risk youth from crime and violence by providing them with a path to gainful employment.  By focusing on youth aged 15 to 24, the project engages the population most likely to become perpetrators or victims of criminal acts and violence.  The project is being developed with the active involvement of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Human and Social Services and Labour, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.  All are vital partners in ensuring the SKYE project achieves its desired results.

 

SKYE forms a part of President Obama’s Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), which was launched at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad in April 2009 and developed in partnership with Caribbean countries to reduce violent crime and illicit trafficking that threaten citizen security.    The CBSI is supporting the efforts of Caribbean governments by providing increased maritime interdiction capacity and law enforcement training and equipment; countering money laundering and other financial crimes; and addressing the root causes of crime by working with at-risk youth to build skills, technical skills, and entrepreneurial opportunities.  CBSI fulfills the commitment to deepen regional security cooperation that President Barack Obama made.  By working together through the CBSI to reduce illicit trafficking, increase public safety and security, and promote social justice, participating nations will increase citizen safety throughout the Caribbean.