by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Mon. July 3, 2023
On Friday, June 30, the Bird’s Isle Basketball Court hosted over 200 young Belizeans who recently celebrated their graduation from various training programs under the Department of Youth Services. This remarkable achievement highlights the success and importance of a relatively new initiative in the area of youth development and vocational training – The Belize National Youth Training Institutes.
After nine months of face-to-face and online training, this set of graduates now marks the third cohort that has passed through the ongoing story of the Belize National Youth Training Institutes.
The Institutes came into being as a merging of several existing youth training initiatives back in 2021, specifically the National Youth Cadet Service Corp., Gateway Youth Center, The Skills Training Center, and The National 4H. Additionally, the Frank Lizama Training Institute and the National 4-H Youth Development Center have also contributed to this transformative initiative.
The Institutes’ objective is to provide a structured, comprehensive vocational training pathway for young Belizeans, particularly aged 14 to 29, and aimed at equipping them with the necessary skills to navigate the ever-changing job market confidently. Some of these skills include front desk customer service, barbering, tourism, engineering, and agriculture.
What sets this program apart is the emphasis on core educational competencies – literacy, math, and financial literacy.
Currently, the Belize National Youth Training Institutes have expanded their presence to four regions across the country, which include the Central Location, previously the Youth Cadet Corps campus located at Mile 21, George Price Highway, and the Western Location, formerly the National 4-H Youth Development Center in Belmopan.
Furthermore, the program also offers three enrichment courses – life skills, tourism, and sports. These courses play a vital role in shaping the overall personality of the participants, preparing them not just for employment, but also for the broader challenges of life.
Hon. Kevin Bernard, the Minister of Youth when the initiative started in 2021, said the end game of the program’s goals was to ensure that everyone who goes through the program becomes employable.
Notably, individuals already in the workforce, including BDF soldiers, took up the challenge to expand their range of knowledge by enrolling in this year’s batch.
The Belize National Youth Training Institutes represent a progressive step forward in addressing youth development and unemployment in Belize, shaping them into responsible, skilled, and contributing members of society.