SCOTIABANK has donated $100,000 towards a youth skills training programme facilitated by NGO Habitat for Humanity and open to young people aged 17-24.

Through Habitat’s partnership with police youth clubs nationwide, 184 participants are benefiting from construction technology and youth carpentry training, as well as financial literacy and credit management, a press release from the bank said.

Habitat TT director Jennifer Massiah said, “Habitat for Humanity promotes and advocates for youth involvement. We firmly believe that for real transformation to take place in our nation, focus must be on two critical elements which are community and youth engagement.

"The Scotiabank-Habitat partnership incorporates both elements and seeks to actively engage youth in carpentry training which adds to community empowerment. This strengthens the capacity of young people thus empowering them to take control of their livelihoods and future, while building resilient communities."

[caption id="attachment_1006150" align="alignnone" width="1024"] TRAINING IS FUN: St James Police Youth Club members participate in the Youth Carpentry Training Programme facilitated by NGO Habitat for Humanity and sponsored by Scotiabank. PHOTO COURTESY SCOTIABANK -[/caption]

Scotiabank's senior VP and managing director Gayle Pazos said, “We are very supportive of developmental activities for our youth. The new skills developed through this training programme will assist in improving employability and financial independence for participants.”

Through this partnership, Pazos added, "We’re seeking to increase the economic resilience of young people so they can get on, stay on or rise-up the economic ladder to better futures."

The programme provides training sessions from basic in-masonry geared towards grassroots builders to an extensive six-week certified course.

The certified course is a combination of theoretical and practical applications that covers all all core areas of construction.

The youth carpentry training is a hands-on programme, facilitated to engage unemployed youth.

It is a hands-on workshop, with teams encouraged to work together to produce usable pieces of furniture. Participants are trained in how to build home furniture with accessible materials and to share their experiences and acquired knowledge with other people in their community.