Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG), with the support of Scotiabank Guyana Inc, successfully concluded a Plumbing Training Programme with a closing and graduation ceremony held on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at Cara Lodge.
The ceremony celebrated the successful completion of a six-week training that empowered 22 young Guyanese, ages 17 to 26, with practical plumbing expertise, essential life-skills, and workplace readiness support. Designed to enhance employability and create pathways to long-term economic opportunity, the initiative reflects Youth Challenge Guyana’s ongoing commitment to equipping vulnerable youth through market-driven technical and vocational education, while fostering personal growth and resilience.
Over the course of the training, participants received intense hands-on and theoretical instruction in plumbing systems and components, PVC and metal pipe installation, drainage and venting systems, water supply and pump systems, water storage tank installation, maintenance procedures, and troubleshooting techniques. The training also incorporated sessions on occupational health and safety, communication skills, entrepreneurship, labour laws, professionalism, and financial literacy to ensure participants were prepared not only technically, but personally and professionally for a successful life.
Speaking during the ceremony, Executive Director Dmitri Nicholson congratulated the graduates for their dedication and resilience throughout the training process. He emphasized that the training represented more than vocational instruction, describing it as an investment in confidence-building, discipline, and sustainable livelihoods for young people navigating social and economic challenges. He also expressed gratitude to Scotiabank Guyana Inc. for its continued partnership and support in advancing youth development initiatives in Guyana.
Representatives from Scotiabank Guyana commended the participants for their commitment and highlighted the importance of private sector collaboration in strengthening workforce development and community resilience. Through the partnership, participants benefitted from a financial literacy engagement designed to encourage responsible financial planning and career growth.
The graduation ceremony brought together graduates, facilitators, family members, private sector representatives, and invited stakeholders in celebration of the participants’ achievements and growth over the duration of the programme. Graduates were presented with certificates recognizing their successful completion of the training and were encouraged to continue developing their skills as they transition into internship placements and future employment opportunities within Guyana’s expanding construction and technical services sector.
The 2026 Plumbing Training was launched earlier this year under the theme “Launching Out: Skills for a Stronger Future.”
