Youths in Limbe, Fako division, have been empowered to make profitable choices in their careers and excel as successful leaders.

The empowerment seminar was held from August 12-15 and it was organised by the YutEXcel-Youths united towards excellence living programme, under the banner of 'Great Minds for a Great Future'.

For four days, the youths, drew from various academic and professional backgrounds and resource people who came to the premises of the chambers of Commerce, as they interacted with peers and facilitators, to exchange ideas, and acquire knowledge and skills to aid them secure a bright future.

There were among other things, drilled on issues like Great Minds, Entrepreneurship, the 7Ps of Career Success, Youth Unemployment and Vision 2035, Creativity and Innovation, Job seeking skills, Transformational leadership etc.

According to the vision bearer of the programme YutEXcel, Mrs Bernice Mbome, there is dire need for such a forum, to help youths unearth their potentials and competences, to know the right path to follow and how, and to imbibe a reading culture in them. She thus exalted the youths to fully participate and exchange ideas for their good.

YutEXcel which started in 2007 is the educative arm of the association called GAYE(Global Alliance for Youth Empowerment), which is concerned with empowering youths, giving them leadership skills, helping them choose the right careers, develop readership skills and also help develop graduates professionally, for profitable career choices.

“We have been organising seminars yearly after the GCE results; we want to give the advanced level students the opportunity to choose the right options in the university. We have also been organising seminars in universities and in other towns and at the local level, there is training for the members of the association” Mrs Mbome explained to The Sun during the workshop.

According to the organiser, “We have done our best and we encourage youths to be part of it because this seminar is the need of the hour. So many have come here, and they have been able to choose the right options because we also emphasise on you knowing yourself. If you want to be a leader, you must know yourself, your strengths and your weaknesses. As a matter of fact, youths should not register in the university without attending this seminar; they should come here and learn how they have to make themselves more marketable” she emphasized.

However, she mentioned that the vision is still facing some difficulties, the main challenge being finance “We single-handedly organise these seminars, so most of the time it is difficult to meet up with our objectives, in terms of providing the youths with the relevant material like books”.

The 2014 annual workshop was facilitated by a host of resource persons including Sanyi Elvis, Victor Teghen, Stanley Mungwa, Elvis Arrey, Mr Atem and Pastor Ben Victor and at the end, a host of the participants told The SUN that it was enriching and they look forward to the next edition.