New policy aims to tackle youth unemployment

THE Ministry of Youth Development and National Service, in collaboration with Cipriani College of Labour and Cooperative Studies, launched the Trinidad and Tobago National Youth Employment Policy (TT-NYEP) on November 4 at the college campus in Valsayn.

A media release said the event marked the beginning of a transformative process aimed at developing the TT-NYEP with a focus on aligning its objectives with sustainable development goals, the National Development Strategy and the Youth Development Strategy. It said the policy formation follows a whole-government approach, with contributions from key stakeholders including the American Chamber of Industry and Commerce of TT, the ministries of Education, National Security, Labour and Public Administration and the Caricom Regional Youth Council.

Narine Charran, acting permanent secretary of the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service, said there is a pressing issue of youth unemployment in the region.

Charran said, “Although the youth unemployment rate for Latin America and the Caribbean has been declining after peaking at 21.2 per cent in 2020, it remains high at 13.6 per cent in 2023.

"In TT, the youth unemployment rate in 2023 fell to 10.1 per cent from 13.5 per cent in 2022, but it remains more than twice the national unemployment rate of 4.2 per cent.”

André Vincent Henry, director of Cipriani Labour College, said, “The TT-NYEP will be created with young people in mind, grounded in stakeholder engagement, dialogue and rigorous evidence and analysis.”

Stakeholders discussed Mapping the Ecosystem of Youth Employment Effectiveness and the draft methodology for developing the TT-NYEP.

The release said the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service remains committed to fostering partnerships that promote youth development and encourages all civic-minded citizens to contribute to national service across TT.