Leadership and Public Policy Skills Training for Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago Youth

One hundred youth from Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago will be trained in leadership and public policy skills through the second iteration of the Caribbean Youth Fellowship (CYF) programme.

The 17-week programme is being delivered under the International Republican Institute (IRI) in partnership with the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus.

It will include courses in good governance, leadership, the socio-economic impact of public policies, problem analysis and diagnosis techniques, and the development of impactful and innovative policy proposals, among others.

Participants will be engaged with government officials and experts in governance, public policy, and economic development, and will have the opportunity to craft their own policy proposals, which will be presented to decision-makers from each country.

The launch of the programme was held at the UWI Open Campus in St. Andrew on Wednesday (June 28).

Chief Education Officer (Acting) in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Dr. Kasan Troupe, in her remarks, welcomed the programme as an opportunity for young people to be “exposed to leadership development, policy development and analysis [and] understanding our governance structure”.

“For me, this initiative holds immense promise of development for our young people, the promise of empowerment for our young people… an opportunity for them to hone their skills and to be launched on a transformative journey,” she said.

For his part, Resident Programme Manager at IRI in the Caribbean, Roger Mitchell, said the course will use a blended learning approach with in-person and online sessions.

“The programme will include four months of classwork [and] coordination in the implementation of action plans and advocacy campaigns around specific policy issues in Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago,” he highlighted.

Past participant in the programme, Jahmel Brown said he benefited greatly from the training.

“I got the opportunity to amplify my voice to speak on a particular issue happening in Jamaica as well as meeting different senators, politicians and honourable leaders,” he noted.

The IRI is an independent non-profit organisation focused on implementing democracy and governance programmes in over 80 countries.

The CYF seeks to empower Caribbean youth to become leaders in developing political solutions that address community needs.