The National Enterprise Development Initiative under the Office of the Vice-President, the Ministry of Youths and Sports through the support of GAMJOBS and The Gambia government on Monday 7th June 2010, started a week-long training programme on fisheries, hospitality and catering at the Manjai Lodge Resort.
The training, which brought together fifty-three youths within the Greater Banjul Area, URR, CRR and NBR, is one of NEDI's models to seek and give entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn the basic elements of enterprise development, marketing, buying and selling techniques, among others, before entrepreneurs are given loans to start a business.
The Director of Fisheries, Mr. Nfamara Dampha, who was speaking at the opening ceremony described the training as timely, adding that his department is to have twenty-four young Gambians yet to graduate from their fisheries training on 8th July, 2010 after completing two years training in fishing activities.
According to him, the fisheries department in the past has conducted a series of training programme for youths.
Mr. Dampha assured the public that the fisheries department would continue to create the enabling environment for youths and women, who want to engage in fishing and fishing activities.
He said that the training is indeed a step in the right direction, hailing NEDI for associating their department to the training.
He finally gave assurance that their collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports would continue inorder to meet their objectives of engaging youths in income generating activities.
Also speaking earlier, the deputy Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Vice-President, Mr. Mama Nyang said that youth employment is one of the ingredients of developing a nation.
"No nation can develop without the engagement of youths," he added.
He revealed that "the government would continue to ensure that young people are employed due to the facts that 90% of the labour sector needs to work in the country rather than seek greener pastures abroad through illegal means."
He urged the participants to utilise the benefits so as to contribute their quota to national development.
For his part, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. Mambanyick Njie described the training as a stride towards addressing unemployment rate of youths and women in the country. He indicated that the government is working collectively to address the problem of unemployment of youths, as an engine of development.
He described fisheries as a significant sector to the socio- economic development. He then challenged the participants to make use of the opportunity accorded to them.
