by Donella Hosten
The Ministry of Youth continues to support the nation’s youth through a number of national initiatives and projects.
Minister Roland Bhola highlighted some of the work being done by the Youth Division at the Ministry of Youth. He said they recently held a Workshop at the National Stadium to assist youth groups with developing their Project Writing skills, where a total of 50 youth groups from around the island were represented. Another workshop was also held in Carriacou, and saw a total of 30 groups being represented.
Minister Bhola also revealed that in during the first week of November, there will be an Events & Management Training for the youth groups.
Another programme the Minister touched on was the REACH programme, operated at Her Majesty’s Prison, where 40 inmates were trained in a variety of areas and assisted with reaching their full potential. He said some of the inmates are hoping to achieve their Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ). At least 19 officers at the Prison were trained on how to better communicate with inmates and each other, as well as conflict resolution.
According to the Minister, he has heard testimonies from the Officers regarding the sessions, and soon the public will be privy to a documentary that is being worked on to show what was done throughout the Programme.
Fostering Level-headed Youths (FLY) is another programme Minister Bhola mentioned during this week’s Post Cabinet Briefing. He said this is a 6–month pilot programme being done with 25 persons from Rose Hill, St Patrick, which began in June 2016.
The participants of FLY have completed Life Skills Training, Literacy Training and Numeracy Training. By the end of October they will be completing training in Basic Construction and Plumbing, and by mid-November, participants are expected to complete sessions in Project Writing, Small Business Management, Customer Service and Community Integration. The programme is funded by the UNDP.
Minister Bhola publicised that the government is currently working on a document called the Participation and Representation Bill, which they hope will assist with establishing a Youth Parliament. This document will outline what qualifies someone to become a Youth Ambassador, how the Youth Council is managed, and the creation of a National Youth Bureau. This document has to be first taken to Cabinet.
