Ministry’s Youth Summer Employment Programme launched for 2023
- ANN’S BAY, St. Ann: The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development’s Youth Summer Employment Programme (YSEP) hosted its 2023 launch ceremony at the Marcus Garvey Technical High School on June 30.
The YSEP – now in its seventh year, provides employment opportunities for young people during the summer months, enabling them to gain valuable skills and work experience.
Portfolio Minister, Honourable Desmond McKenzie hailed the programme as an important launching pad for youngsters in their preparation for adulthood.
Data indicate that the programme has grown from 1,600 participants at the launch in 2016 to 6,500 in 2022. A total of 28,000 persons have been employed to the since its inception.
“Last year following COVID, we expanded the YSEP to the largest number of young people ever employed,” stated the Minister.
This year, 6500 participants will also be employed in various public-sector entities.
Minister McKenzie also explained that the selection of participants is done on a non-partisan basis.
“What we want to know is the colour of your ability to perform and to contribute to the growth and development of Jamaica,” he said.
He also urged the young people to be mindful of their conduct while carrying out their tasks.
“Let me say that we are not going to be afraid to cut anyone if your behaviour does not match the standard that was set when we started in 2016. This is the foundation for you to move forward into our working world.”
The YSEP seeks to utilize information gathering and data collection to support the programmes and activities of the Ministry and its entities. This aligns with the Government of Jamaica’s national priorities which are Human Capital Development and Inclusive Sustainable Economic Growth and Job Creation.
YSEP continues to improve the skillset of young people while providing greater level of efficiency and improved service delivery to citizens and stakeholders.
This year, some of the main duties for participants will focus on:
- Road Mapping – to collect the requisite data on parochial road infrastructure (gullies, drains, roads), cemeteries, markets, sanitary conveniences across the country
- Vulnerable Population Survey- to identify where they exist, and support needed in the event of a natural disaster and general support through the local government and other services
- Streetlight Audit – to maintain an up-to-date database of streetlights across the island, their working conditions, and number of new installations.
- Traders’ Survey – to capture the number of traders across the island to update the database.
