TWO HUNDRED (200) YSEP PARTICIPANTS TO WORK ALONGSIDE DISASTER COORDINATORS AND THE SDC THIS YEAR
In the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa and in a bid to be better prepared during the current 2026 Atlantic Hurricane season, Hon. Desmond McKenzie announced that this year’s Youth Summer Employment Programme (YSEP) will employee 200 Participants to work closely with the Social Development Commission (SDC) and the Parish Disaster Coordinators through the Municipal Corporation.
He made the disclosure during a truck handing over ceremony at the National Solid Waste Management Authority’s headquarters on Tuesday morning (June 30).
“One of the aspects of the Youth Summer Employment Programme this year, is that we’re going to be providing 200 jobs, out of the Youth Summer Employment Programme where we’re going to be providing about 10-15 youth summer employees to each Municipal Corporation through the SDC and they will be working from July until December, right through the Hurricane Season, and their responsibility is to work with the disaster coordinators,” the Minister said.
He also added that this year’s programme will take on a two-pronged approach, with one aspect mirroring the normal operations of YSEP where Jamaicans between the ages of 17-29 are employed for four weeks within the Local Government fraternity and paid a stipend upon completion of the programme.
Meanwhile the second phase, will focus on assisting the Municipal Corporation to better prepare and preposition resources and contingencies in case of any disasters.
“We want to be in a better position, so one of the features of the programme is that they will be going into vulnerable communities to look for those persons who are sick and disabled, who are living alone, so in case of an event, we know where to find them,” he said.
He added that the YSEP workers will also be responsible for carrying out assessments on roadway infrastructure, shelters and alternative safety measures should a disaster become eminent.
“to do assessments on roads, to find locations if something happens and they can’t reach shelters, there is alternative arrangements to be made,” he added, while using the opportunity to remind Jamaicans that hurricanes are not the only threat to the island and pointing to the increased number of felt earthquakes over the last few months.
Over the last 10 years, the Youth Summer Employment Programme has employed more than 100,000 young Jamaicans, with a record breaking 10,000 participants employed in 2025.