Tech focus for youth summer programme

Over 10,000 young people will be gainfully employed under the 2024 Youth Summer Employment Programme (YSEP), which was officially launched by Prime Minister, Andrew Holness at William Knibb Memorial High School in Trelawny on Friday, June 28.

The young men and women, aged 17-29, being enrolled this year will be paid $60,000 over their four weeks of employment, which commences in the second week of July.

The first week of the programme will be dedicated to sensitising and preparing them for their roles across the various agencies under the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, which spearheads the initiative.

Notable among the programme’s features this year is a focus on addressing homelessness, which will see participants assigned to the Poor Relief Department across the country undertaking surveys to assess the size of Jamaica’s homeless population.

Technology will play a pivotal role in this year’s programme, as participants will be trained to use specific systems developed by the ministry to identify road networks for expansion.

Holness, in his address during the launch, emphasised the importance of the participants developing a strong work ethic going into the programme and urged youngsters to approach their tasks with enthusiasm and dedication, which, he said, are important for personal development.

“Whatever you are tasked to do, do it to the best of your ability and do it well. The job you get now, when you display the critical skills, discipline, and ethic, it recommends you for the job you want. This will become the stepping stone for the job you eventually want,” he said.

Broader initiative

The prime minister added that YSEP 2024 is part of a broader government initiative to create summer-job opportunities for youth.

When combined with efforts by other agencies, such as HEART/NSTA Trust and the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the total number of summer jobs to be created by the Government is expected to exceed 20,000, Holness stated.

For his part, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie highlighted the programme’s growth since its inception, when it started with just 1,600 participants.

He also noted YSEP’s success in generating permanent employment, citing over 500 past participants benefiting from such in various municipal corporations.

McKenzie urged this year’s participants to treat the programme with the same seriousness as they would their future careers.

“This is a programme that takes into consideration the needs of young people. It is the largest youth summer employment programme in the Caribbean,” he pointed out. The impact of YSEP on individuals, such as 18-year-old Ajarie Foster, demonstrates the programme’s potential to teach invaluable work experience and essential skills. A recent sixth-form graduate of Tivoli Gardens High School in Kingston, Foster said he is looking forward to his first time participating in YSEP.

“YSEP will be a good experience for me to help me know more about the work world and give me that experience,” he pointed out.

– JIS