By Sirrah Touray
The National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS) recently held its second cohort graduate programme at Bakadaji Hotel, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to empower its youth.
The programme aims to provide undergraduate students, dropouts, and Arabic students with valuable professional work experience and skills development, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
Bakary Y Badjie, Minister of Youths and Sports, emphasised the importance of equipping young people with the right opportunities to rise above unemployment and poverty.
Badjie assured that the government will continue to provide the necessary resources to support the programme, with plans to expand it to cater for more young people from various universities in the country.
For his part, Dr Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information, urged institutions to provide internship opportunities to young people, enabling them to gain practical experience and enter the job market.
Mucktarr Darboe, DPS (Technical) at the Ministry of Youth Sports, acknowledged the remarkable collaboration between NYSS and the UNDP, which has led to the successful development of the national youth service graduate programme.
Lala Touray, Executive Director of NYSS, explained that the programme aims to bridge the gap between academic qualification and the labour market, providing young people with soft skills, ethics, and civic responsibility training.
The programme seeks to instil patriotism, resilience, and a sense of responsibility among participants, shaping them into well-rounded young career professionals.
She said the NYSS remains committed to empowering young people, providing them with opportunities to contribute to national development and become productive members of society.
