Summer Employment Programme to Be Revamped
July 9, 2012The Full Story
Youth and Culture Minister, Hon. Lisa Hanna, said that theNationalSummer Employment Programme is being restructured to return it to its original focus of being a service initiative rather than a job opportunity.
The primary objective, she said, is for young people to volunteer and to begin to explore career options.
The Minister was speaking in her contribution to the 2012/13 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on July 3, under the theme: ‘On a Mission to make Jamaica great’.
She also informed that the Board of the National Youth Service (NYS) has been charged with the responsibility to return the organisation to its core mandate and be seen as more than a “training and placement agency” for youth.
“It is challenged to return to being a development agency for youth to gain not just the right skill sets but also the correct mind set to contribute positively to national growth and development,” she stated.
She said emphasis will be placed on social skill development, self-sustainability, awareness and civic pride.
Miss Hanna further informed that the Ministry will be seeking to increase the integration of persons with disabilities.
“The NYS enrollment should be taking us closer to the internationally identified target of 17 per cent of the population,” she remarked.
By Athaliah Reynolds-Baker, JIS Reporter