5,300 Students to be Employed this Summer at a Cost of $58 Million

Approximately 5,300 secondary and tertiary level students will be employed this year under the National Youth Service’s (NYS) Summer Employment Programme, at a cost of some $58 million.
The young people will be placed in public and private entities for three weeks during the months of July and August.
Executive Director of the NYS, Rev. Adinhair Jones, addressing the launch of the programme yesterday (July 1) at the Assembly Hall of the University of the West Indies, Mona, said that more than 44,000 young people have benefitted from employment at a cost of some $400 million since the initiative was expanded in 2000.
“That’s an indication that the Government has been serious about facilitating the meaningful engagement of young people over the summer period and we really want to continue to maintain this programme as something of benefit to the young people,” he stated.
He said that the NYS was committed to the social development of young people, and has been helping them to change the “attitudes and behaviours that could be barriers to their personal development.”
“Our commitment is to continue to stay true to our philosophies and practices and the values that underpin those practices, and to hope that, over time, we will rebuild and maintain the good reputation of the organisation,” he added.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of students, drawn from secondary and tertiary institutions islandwide, participated in an orientation exercise to prepare them for the work environment.
Danielle Wisdom, who will be attached to an entity for a second time, said that as a result of the programme, she has been introduced to the work environment, and has learnt to cope with various types of management and personalities.
“Overall, the experience was both educational and influential despite the fact that I was working,” Danielle said, noting that she also learnt proper work ethic and stress management, which have helped to develop her character.
She encouraged the young people to work hard and “add value to the company you are placed in, and I hope you all gain something valuable. Enjoy the experience and keep on the ball.”
The Summer Employment Programme was launched in 1993, as a means of providing employment during the summer months for inner city children. In 2000, it was expanded to include students on a national scale, providing them with an opportunity to gain valuable work experience. The participants, who are between 14 and 24 years old, are provided with a stipend to offset back-to-school expenses.
Rev. Jones said there was a need for further expansion of the programme, noting that it was over-subscribed this year by some 200 per cent.