In partnership with the Youth Empowerment Project of The Gambia, Five Star Security (FSS) Ltd has successfully recruited and trained one hundred Gambian youth on various fields of security and safety services. The training was conducted in two batches lasting for one month each at the Police Training Academy in Banjulinding. The training was both extensive and intensive covering the following areas:
1. Basic Private Security Officers Course by the Gambia Police Force.
2. Fire Safety and Emergency Evacuation by the Gambia Fire and Rescue Services.
3. First-Aid and CPR by the Gambia Red Cross Society.
4. Counter-Terrorism by the Gambia Armed Forces.
5. Customer Care and Public Relations by FSS Ltd and
6. Self-Defense by the Taekwondo YMCA.
The training programme is funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa through The Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) of The Gambia through the Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) Fund. This project aims to equip Gambian youth with market-relevant technical and vocational skills. The SkYE Fund is a results-based competitive funding model that ensures the critical importance of training youth to meet existing job needs, or in the case of self-employment, successfully meet market opportunities.
YEP supports the economic development of The Gambia through skills training, entrepreneurship and support to small businesses. The project is implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and under the leadership of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration & Employment (MOTIE) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The CEO of FSS Ltd, Retired Lieutenant Colonel Lamin Gano, highlighted that it is mandatory for everyone who joins FSS Ltd to undergo these training programmes. The programmes are carefully selected to support the company’s vision, mission and core values. The security expert stresses that training is the bedrock of professionalism and professionalism is the mantra of FSS Ltd.
CEO Gano said that the support came at the right time as it is an election period in the country. The increase in capacity will enable FSS Ltd to contribute to local security and stability. He said that security is everybody’s business and the state security service alone cannot provide security to all the sectors of the country. FSS Ltd and other private security companies are ready, willing and able to support the state security services in addition to their traditional role of serving the private security sector.
The CEO of FSS Ltd thanked the Gambia Government for creating the enabling environment for such and other developmental activities to take place. He also expressed gratitude to the EU through YEP for the support and he strongly commended the training partners of FSS Ltd for the partnership. Gano praised the 100 Gambian youth who participated in the training for choosing the noble career of protecting lives and property and urge other Gambian youth to emulate them by joining the private security sector which is seriously struggling due to lack of personnel.
