509 Young People Being ‘LIFTed’ into Jobs

Five hundred and nine young Jamaicans have been ‘LIFTed’ into the next step of their personal and professional lives, thanks to the Government’s Learning and Investment for Transformation (LIFT) programme.

The cohort is the first set of participants in the programme, which was announced by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, in his Budget presentation earlier this year, and was celebrated during a Social Advancement ceremony at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Friday (December 15).

The 509 youngsters completed the first two phases of the programme – entry and engagement – and will now advance to phase three, immersion, where they will use the tools and skills they have garnered over an eight-week period to enter jobs across the public and private sectors.

Delivering the keynote address at the ceremony, Prime Minister Holness hailed the group for completing the programme, while deeming them “ambassadors for Jamaica”.

“Your Government is investing in you to lift you up so that you can reach your full potential. You have the building blocks for greatness. You have applied to the programme, you have met the matriculation requirements, you have stuck with the programme [and] you have completed it. Now, we’re giving you the experience in an organised, structured, rules-based work environment and more than that, we’re paying you for that experience,” Mr. Holness said.

He noted that the Government has a vested interest in engaging unattached youth within society, particularly by boosting their employability, pointing out that LIFT is “among a whole suite of programmes developed by the Government to ensure that we are solving this employability issue”.

For her part, Managing Director of the HEART NSTA/Trust, Dr. Taneisha Ingleton, said that “this moment is the fulfilment of ambition. It’s the fulfilment of dedication and the unwavering belief in a brighter tomorrow… [and] a Jamaica where every young person in this country has the opportunity to thrive”.

She outlined that psychometric assessments were administered, which helped participants to identify their strengths and areas for growth.

They were also equipped with invaluable employability skills such as communication, teamwork, managing finances, navigating the workplace, the value of volunteerism and social responsibility.

Dr. Ingleton informed that through the programme, more than 1,000 citizenship documents have been processed for participants, 200 passports are being processed, and 507 of the 509 participants have obtained their Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN).

In addition, National Insurance Scheme (NIS) cards have been obtained, and 440 persons have successfully completed the Road Code test and are now qualified to receive a learner’s licence.

“This means, therefore, that soon, every participant will have the essential documents needed to navigate the world with confidence and ensure that they have a foundation to build their future,” the Managing Director said.

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Skills and Digital Transformation, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris-Dixon, urged the participants to be role models for their peers and to use the training they have received as tools to forge a resilient and innovative future.

“There are many people who applied for this programme; you were chosen. In everything you do, I want you to remember those who did not get this opportunity. Your role is to lift up all of [them],” the Minister charged.

The half-a-billion-dollar LIFT programme is a collaboration involving the HEART NSTA/Trust, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Education and Youth.

It aims to forge a robust path towards sustained employment and social integration of the nation’s young people.

Through the programme, 2,500 school graduates will be elevated towards a brighter future by 2028.

It is designed for fifth and sixth-form graduates with five or more Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects, who have not yet matriculated to further studies, enabling them to secure placement in public and private-sector partner entities for a period of one year.

During the internship, participants will be supported with a stipend of $70,000 monthly and assisted with the establishment of civil documents.

There is also a savings component where each candidate will receive a lump sum of $120,000 after completion.