The Gambia National Youth Service Scheme, NYSS, under the Ministry of Youth and Sports will Thursday graduate its special batch of Corp Members trained on Gambia Skill Qualification (GSQ) on rice production level 1.
Speaking to The Standard ahead of the graduation, the NYSS public relations officer, Adama Beyai said the team of Corp members will be graduating after undergoing six months of intensive training on rice production at Sapo.
He said the graduation ceremony will be graced by the Minister for Youth and Sports, governors, head of agricultural department in CRR, heads of satellite institutions under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, NYSS board members, partners and parents of the graduating youths and other important guests.
“During the training these youth went through an orientation exercise and were introduced to leadership skills and good practices. They were also given lectures in all skills areas including ecology of the rice plant, introduction to fertilizer; seedbeds selection and preparation among others,” he said.
Meanwhile, Beyai further disclosed that, the NYSS will be embarking on a mobilisation tour to recruit prospective Corp Members for the 12th intake from the 10th – 18th July 2017, “the process which will be conducted nationwide is intended to recruit 200 young Gambians who will be later interviewed on the 24th July 2017.”
“The interview will be followed by an orientation exercise. This time the orientation period will be four weeks instead of traditional six weeks and the new members will be housed at the NYSS Youth Camp where they will be introduced to leadership skills and good practices,” he said.
He said the intake will be introduced to lectures on counseling, sexual and reproductive health; culture and tradition; among other areas.
The NYSS spokesman further stressed that the main purpose of the regular camp practices and lecture is to instill discipline in the new recruits, strengthen their social and mental endurance and also to polish their practical, social and leadership skills before their deployment to the various training institutions.
While urging Gambians youth to pick up the forms from their Governors and Mayors Offices, he called on them to take advantage of the two-year training programme, “which is free of charge.”
