By Aminata Sanneh
The Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI), with support from the European Union Youth Empowerment Project (YEP), recently trained and graduated total of one hundred and fifty-two youths from its annexed institutes at Lower River and the Upper River Regions.
The students were certified at the ceremonies held at both regions after successfully completing six months and three months’ training courses at different levels in Tourism and Hospitality, and Professional Bakery Programme respectively.
The Director General of Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute, Mr. Daouda Niang said the objective of the training was to complement the strategic objective of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to help decentralise tourism products and services, as well as improve on the products and service quality in the regions. He urged the graduands to become job creators rather than job seekers through entrepreneurship.
“As part of our decentralisation of tourism services and products the GTHI have established professional training institutes in all regions in a bid to bring access to education in the sector closer to the youth in rural Gambia,” he affirmed.
The representatives of the National Youth Council (NYC) in LRR and URR, Momodou Salieu Jallow equally thanked YEP for the support. He commended Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute for the tremendous effort in supporting rural youths through skills and vocational training.
Mrs Fatoumata Jallow Mbenga, European Union Project Coordinator and Senior Technical Adviser called on the youth to use the skills they have gained to create employment for themselves and their peers within the regions.
She informed that the youth empowerment project has over the years trained many Gambian youths with livelihood skills to ensure they are financially stable and independent.
