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Youth Employment
A Synopsis of Employment Strategies
and Programmes for Youth in
Jamaica
Introduction



This discussion is aimed at highlighting the
many strategies and programmes being
implemented to tackle some of the problems
encountered by the youth in the labour
market.
Reference is made to pertinent
recommendations as to ways in which the
situation of the youth can be improved.
To be noted is the unemployment rate for
youth which is three times that of adults,
and 2.2 times that of total unemployment
Figure 1: Youth Activity in 2005
Based on available data, of the total youth
population in 2005, 58 per cent is either in the
labour force or attending tertiary level institutions.
12%
30%
38%
20%
Upper secondary
Tertiary
Labour force
Inactive
National Strategies to Promote
Youth Employment
These strategies have focused on:
 Policy Formulation
 Training and Technical assistance
 Youth Support Groups
 Youth Support Services
National Strategies to Promote
Youth Employment

In promoting youth employment much
emphasis is placed on exposing the youth
to gaining the necessary experience to join
the workforce.

There are several strategies that are used to
monitor, guide and challenge youth into
developing themselves to fit into the
demands of adult life.
Employment Strategies


MOEY, Jamaica has recently launched a
“National Youth Policy” aimed at establishing
a local perspective on youths’ personal and
national development with a common vision.
This common vision which seeks to minimize
the negative social and economic situations
experienced by this age group was agreed on
by stakeholders and identifies key roles and
responsibilities of individuals and
organizations.
Employment Strategies (cont’d)
Employment and entrepreneurship are
important elements of the Policy and will
focus on certain achievable targets.
These achievable targets include:
o Strengthening the education and training
system through advocacy;
o Increasing training opportunities and
research;
o Forging linkages to employment
opportunities;
o The provision of incentives to employers;

Employment Strategies (cont’d)
o
o

Training more young persons in
entrepreneurship.
Providing loan and credit facilities to youth.
A National Strategic Plan for Youth
Development will be implemented to guide
the activities of the Policy for the next five to
ten years.
Employment Strategies

Although training is available through a broad
formal and informal education and training
system in Jamaica, emphasis is being placed
on the Human Employment and Resource
Training (HEART) Trust/NTA to expand its
training and certification in the various
technical and vocational fields.
Employment Strategies (cont’d)


HEART Trust/NTA which was established in
1982, is spearheading the challenge of
making the Jamaican workforce more
competitive, to achieve improvements in
productivity.
HEART Trust/NTA has reorganized its
operations to offer unit level courses and has
embarked on a process to certify more of the
local tradesmen and women so that they can
meet the approval of prospective employers.
Employment Strategies
(cont’d)


HEART Trust/NTA intends to be a regionally
accredited institution so that workers from
the Caribbean Single Market and Economy
can benefit from increasing opportunities.
HEART Trust/NTA is partnering with
employers’ organizations and youth
organizations to ensure a smoother school to
work transition.
Employment Strategies (cont’d)

HEART Trust/NTA conceptualized the School
Leavers’ Training Opportunity Programme
(SL-TOP)

SL-TOP was design for secondary students who
had at least two general proficiency passes and
who would benefit from the programme by onthe-job training received for one to three years,
after which they become certified.
Employment Strategies (cont’d)

The National Youth Service (NYS) is a
youth organization that has as its mandate
to train and guide young persons in
appropriate leadership and social skills,
ensuring high levels of discipline and the
upholding of positive values and attitudes.
Employment Strategies (cont’d)


The National Centre on Youth
Development (NCYD) was created to
provide an institutional framework that: (1) coordinates and collaborates on youth
programmes, and (2) supports other youth
organizations and stakeholders with
research and information needs.
Both entities were established out of the
initial development of a National Youth
Policy in 1994
Employment Strategies (cont’d)


The National Youth Service (NYS) and the
National Centre for Youth Development
(NCYD) have been working assiduously to
achieve sound objectives in youth
development nationally.
Some activities include:
- Employment of youth empowerment
officers;
Employment Strategies
(cont’d)
- establishing the Youth Ambassadors
Programme;
- Hosting seminars on entrepreneurship;
- NYS has also launched a Volunteerism
Programme that aims to broaden
exposure to organizations such as
NGOs.
Employment Strategies (cont’d)


Support services accessible to the youth
are the provision of basic education, skills
training and personal development
courses.
Youths can also obtain financial assistance
in terms of small business loans,
scholarships and grants.
Employment Strategies (cont’d)


Other support groups are the NYS-CORPS
and the Jamaica 4-H Club, who both assist a
satisfactory number of youths annually in the
areas of agriculture, business, information
technology, the environment, also
maintaining healthy lifestyles and work
attitudes.
Arising from participation in the training
programmes offered by the Jamaica 4-H,
persons could obtain NCTVET certificates.
Employment Strategies

Business Youth for National Development
(BY.ND) has assisted new entrepreneurs to
establish themselves through product
development, service delivery and business plan
preparation and also arranges on-the-job
training for participating persons. BY.ND also
offers technical and financial assistance to
young entrepreneurs.
National Programmes aimed at
youth


Youth Opportunity Fairs have sought to
expose employment opportunities in the rural
areas in fields such as health, agriculture and
the security forces.
Other programmes include the Heifer and
Goat Revolving Scheme, and the Information
Technology Employment Programme.
National programmes aimed at
youth (cont’d)

The Lift-Up Jamaica Programme was
implemented to provide short term
employment and skills training to persons
aged 18 to 30 years in labour intensive
projects aimed at improving community
infrastructure.
Programmes aimed at youth (cont’d)


The National Summer Employment
programme provides employment to upper
secondary and tertiary level students.
The Jamaica Values and Attitude
Programme (JAMVAT) allows tertiary level
students to give community service to
public and private entities in exchange for
financial assistance.
Broad Recommendations for a
comprehensive youth strategy

To maintain a comprehensive training and
employment programme that will enhance
relationships at the firm level, improve the
relevance of training programmes and design
new social security provisions which will
impact on the employability aspects of young
persons.
Recommendations



To target sectors that youth are employed
in, to increase labour productivity and
enhance communication between these
sectors and education and training
institutions.
To implement programmes which target
social and disciplinary aspects of youth
development and to create proper
networks between youth groups, the state
and civil society.
To target poor and marginalized youths.
Recommendations



To expand the operations of the National
Youth Service to accommodate more young
persons.
To include entrepreneurship and skills
training in the secondary school curriculum.
The establishment of a Youth Entrepreneurial
Trust that will provide a continuous financial
and technical support for business
development.