Trade Minister: Young people will transform Trinidad and Tobago

TRADE and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon has said young people will transform Trinidad and Tobago through innovation, creativity and passion.

She was speaking to 430 graduates of the MIC Institute of Technology’s (MICTT) student enhancement and empowerment programme (STEEP) on October 16.

The six-week programme trained participants in business etiquette/deportment; confidence-building; conversational Spanish; emotional intelligence; financial management; interviewing skills; introduction to entrepreneurship; introduction to technical and vocational education and training (TVET)/technical skills; life skills classes; Microsoft Office/computer literacy; music; resume-writing and much more.

Gopee-Scoon said the progamme was a transformative course that would serve as a tool to devise a career path and provide an introduction to some of the necessary life skills required to succeed in the world of work.

She said government recognised young people were Trinidad and Tobago’s greatest asset, and it continued to prioritise the development and implementation of programmes that build the skills of young people across a wide cross-section of sectors.

“We continue to fund and implement the right policies and programmes so you, our young persons, will be prepared for the world of work; becoming the problem-solvers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and change agents of the future.”

She said after the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service (MYDNS) was implemented in 2020, government had been supporting youth through programmes such as Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC); Military-Led Academic Training Programme (MiLAT); and the Military-led Programme of Apprenticeship and Reorientation Training (MYPART).

Additional programmes under various ministries include the Youth Apprenticeship Homestead Programme (YAHP) and the Youth Agricultural Shade House Project, apprenticeship programmes in targeted sectors such as manufacturing, woodworking and yachting, a soon-to-be introduced Steelpan Tuners Apprenticeship Programme, the Online Numeracy Programme for Adults, the National Digital Literacy Project and a Digital Literacy Certification Programme.

Gopee-Scoon said the students had a role to play in their own development and it was their personal responsibility to make the most of the opportunities.

“I am particularly pleased to hear that some of you have already expressed interest in enrolling in the available TVET and apprenticeship programmes. It is these continued investments which will yield long-term benefits and contribute to your success.

“Gone are the days when education alone mattered, when searching for a job, companies are now looking to hire well-rounded employees... who possess the right combination of skills, attitudes and behaviours required in the modern workplace.

“This is where your training in business etiquette, conversational Spanish, emotional intelligence, financial management, interview skills, entrepreneurship, technical and vocation education training, life skills, computer literacy and resume-writing will give you the competitive advantage I spoke of earlier.”

Gopee-Scoon said critical characteristics which would help the students as they go forward included belief in self, finding their purpose, being persistent and resilient, embracing change and the importance of connection.