Government Spending Millions on Youth Empowerment

The Government is spending approximately $82 million this fiscal year on youth empowerment and development programmes.
The Ministry of Education has been allocated $50 million in the 2009/10 Estimates of Expenditure for a Youth Development Programme aimed at strengthening institutional capacity to implement, monitor and evaluate youth policies and programmes.
Support will be given to existing projects, and new initiatives for unattached youths are to be tested.
An immediate target of the programme is the expansion and strengthening of the National Youth Service (NYS), through improvements in the islandwide recruitment procedure and extension of curriculum and field offices. It also aims to strengthen the NYS’ corporate contacts and staff development activities.
Meanwhile, approximately $32 million has been budgeted for a Youth Empowerment and Participation Programme aimed at upgrading facilities at NYS training sites.
The Korean International Corporation Agency is funding the programme which will include the upgrading of the Knox/Cobbla campus in Manchester, the Eco Village campus in St. Andrew and the NYS Head Office.
Computer and related equipment have already been procured, but are awaiting Customs clearance. This year, structural works for remodeling the Cobbla and Eco Village campuses will be carried out. The Head Office’s training laboratory is also to be remodeled and furniture and computers and other equipment provided for NYS facilities.