YOUNG persons between the ages of 17 and 29 are to benefit from a $50 million Youth Entrepreneurial Project (YEP) which will see them generating their own employment.Under the project, launched by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies, on Friday, young persons will be encouraged, through training, to foster and build businesses. The main thrust is to facilitate sustainable employment of over 1,500 young persons who are interested in exploring self-employment as a career option, particularly persons with basic literacy skills, graduates of high schools or who have gone through the HEART/NTA system.
"It is a programme that is going to require the co-ordination of various agencies in Government, and also of the private sector. It is a programme which, if it takes off, can reap benefits which we would not have anticipated in terms of freeing persons from the chains of expectation that somebody else will solve their unemployment problems," the Minister said at the launch, which took place at the Jamaica Business Development Centre (JBDC) in Kingston.
He pointed out that young people needed to create their own jobs, and that the programme would provide that opportunity.
"It is important that members of this new generation recognise that the economy in which I wanted to be employed 30 years ago, no longer exists. It will never exist again and it is important therefore that a programme such as this be adopted throughout the education system," he said.
Senator Aloun N'dombet Assamba, State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Technology, the implementing agency said that companies would be identified as appropriate hosts for selected apprentices. The companies and the designated Government agencies would sign an agreement describing the terms and conditions of the partnership.
"We are looking for persons involved in the business of masonry, craft, plumbing, garment making, tile laying, grill work, painting, computer repairs, shoe-making and the music business," she said.
Participants would be attached as interns to businesses and would be paid a stipend of $1,250 a week for three months, she said.
"The expectation is that at the end of the three months, the businesses might find that these are young persons they want to employ, or the young persons might choose to start their own business," she added.
