Help for youth

 

The issue of unemployment is one of major concern to the youth in Barbados.

 

Cleviston Hunte, Director of Youth in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, noted that it is with this in mind that the Youth Ministry has formed a partnership with the UK-based Prince’s Trust International, to reduce the levels of youth unemployment in the country.

 

He was speaking yesterday during an Employers’ Summit held at the Hilton Hotel. The Summit sought to engage potential employers in participating in the Trust's flagship employability programme called, “Get Into”, which is an employer-driven initiative which seeks to aid disadvantaged young people in the community.

 

“In our own research for our National Youth Policy, the issue of unemployment emerged as one that was most concerning to young people within Barbados. In fact, I think the national 

average, especially for youth unemployment, is usually two-and-a-half times that of the adult population. And we within the Ministry felt that this was an area that we wanted to tackle most assiduously,” Hunte remarked.

 

“The main part of being able to empower young people is to provide them with jobs and to provide them with an income with which they can provide for themselves and their families. And so, we felt this partnership with the Prince’s Trust International was critical to extend the number of opportunities that we have for young people,” Hunte further commented.

 

The Youth Director also noted that having launched the Endless Possibilities job attachment programme within the Ministry back in 2011, he has come to realise that forging such an alliance with the Trust is a must, since the Ministry recognises that many young persons lack the most basic employability skills. He also pointed out that many young persons are vulnerable and lack the relevant certification for the jobs that may capture their interest. Having gone through the job attachment programme, however, they gain more confidence, are much more mature when presenting themselves to employers and maintain the jobs in which they are placed.

 

Susan Martin, International Project Manager with Prince’s Trust International, has meanwhile noted that two pilot programmes will be rolled out in Barbados, “Get Into Hospitality” and “Get Into Logistics”, for persons between the ages of 16 to 25. The programmes will run over a two to six weeks period and a robust recruitment programme will be held to ensure that those best suited benefit from them.