SINGAPORE - President Halimah Yacob presented 100 youths with their graduating certificates at the UBS-CampVision LEAD graduation ceremony on Saturday (Sept 8).

The UBS-CampVision LEAD Academy is a facilitated six-month long mentoring programme that partners youths with volunteer mentors from UBS to help them develop effective communication and leadership skills.

UBS also engages executive leadership coaches to facilitate the learning process.

Currently in its fifth edition, the programme comprises a series of 11 structured sessions in which the youths, aged 13 to 16, and the mentors are guided to develop and achieve personal goals relating to communication or self-leadership.

This year, more than 40 UBS volunteer mentors joined the programme which included students from seven schools: East View Secondary, Greendale Secondary, Hua Yi Secondary, Juying Secondary, NorthLight, Westwood Secondary, and Queenstown Secondary.

Asked about what he had learnt from the programme, East View Secondary student Vikas Anand, 14, said: "LEAD taught me to set realistic and proper goals and how to work towards achieving them.

"More importantly, I learned from my UBS mentor not to be upset with failure but see it as feedback for improvement."

Principal of Hua Yi Secondary Sandra Gweesaid the programme has been inspirational for the youths and has made a marked difference in those who have attended.

"They have greater self-belief, are more willing to step out of their comfort zones and are more mature in their decision-making.

"We trust UBS and CampVision to nurture the youths in a safe environment and we value the mentorship, time and perspectives they have provided."