At least 68 students of Yei Vocational Training College in Yei River County in Central Equatoria State graduated over the weekend after three months of training in life skills in various disciplines.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony on Saturday, Francis Taban, the acting principal of the college, assured the graduates of the importance of acquiring life skills and knowledge which he said can make them earn money.
“Vocational training is very important so that you get practical skills that can earn you a living,” he advised. “Put the skills into action to enable you to handle the challenges you will face out there.”
The graduates were trained in hairdressing, tailoring, basic mechanics, carpentry, building, and electrical engineering.
The graduates who spoke to Radio Tamazuj lauded the organization ACROSS for sponsoring the training and they serve their communities with the skills they have acquired.
Johnson Poru, the chairperson of the Youth Association in Yei River County, urged the graduates to utilize the skills they acquired.
“You who have got this training should make sure you utilize them well,” he said. “I also want to encourage the organizations to work with the youth office to ensure that their programming suits the interest of the young people.”
For his part, Philip Taban Issa, the deputy county education director in Yei, emphasized that the main objective of the life skills program is to create a conducive environment and ways for the youth to earn a living.
“We are looking to survive and feed our families and these are the ways to reduce crimes among the youth because if they are doing something that keeps them busy, they will forget about committing crimes in the community,” he said.
The training was sponsored by ACROSS and comprised 30 male and 38 female students.