Over 300 students, aged 14 to18, are participating in this year???s Community Development Department???s ITS for Teens Programme which is sponsored by Cable and Wireless Barbados Limited.

Addressing the launch, this morning, at the Parkinson Resource Centre, The Pine, St. Michael, Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development, Steve Blackett said that the six week programme was designed to give teenagers an opportunity to ???do something meaningful??? in the summer while exposing them to the world of information technology.

The programme which includes computer graphics, Introduction to Microsoft Suite and Web Page Design among others, he said, challenges the participants to ???think creatively, develop analytical skills and explore the many avenues that are available to persons skilled in information technology???.

Mr. Blackett disclosed that participants from 12 of the 17 resource centres would have the opportunity to be assessed for the National/Caribbean Vocational Qualifications.

???The current focus of the Community Development Department is the expansion of these programmes for sustainable development and ensuring that participants in these programmes acquire certification that is credible and accepted both locally and regionally???Thus ITS for Teens and all the other programmes offered by the Community Development Department under the Community Technology Programme have to undergo this process,??? he said.

The Minister of Social Care also lauded Cable and Wireless Barbados Limited for its dedication to the programme since 2010. ???My ministry is grateful for your involvement in the youth??? We salute you for showing your true community spirit and for the gesture of sharing and caring,??? he added.

During her address, Corporate Communications & PR Manager at LIME, Marilyn Sealy stated that, over the years, Cable and Wireless Barbados Limited had invested over a quarter of a million dollars in the ITS for Teens Programme, one which the company believed significantly enhances the information technology skills of young people in Barbados.

She told the participants that they should not take the opportunity for granted and encouraged them to make wise choices utilising the information and technology received during the programme.

aisha.reid@barbados.gov.bb

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