Youth Development Ministry, Cipriani Labour College launch youth employment policy

Youth Development and National Service Ministry acting permanent secretary Narine Charran has said the youth employment rate was twice that of the national average in 2022.

He was delivering the keynote speech at the launch of the National Youth Employment Policy (TT-NYEP) on November 4 at the Cipriani College of Labour and Cooperative Studies. The project is a collaboration between the Youth Development and National Service Ministry and the college.

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, however, it is twice that of the national unemployment rate of 4.2 percent.”

Cipriani Labour College director Dr André Vincent Henry outlined the approach to the policy design.

“It will be created with young people in mind, based on stakeholder engagement, dialogue and with rigorous evidence and analysis.”

A release from the ministry said stakeholders also discussed mapping the ecosystem of youth employment effectiveness; the draft methodology for developing the TT-NYEP and engaged in group work for themed suggestions for the TT-NYEP.

It said the launch was the start of the process of creating the National Youth Policy by framing its intent in the context of sustainable development goals, the national development strategy and the youth development strategy.

It said the approach is a whole-government approach with other partnering stakeholders including the TT American Chamber of Industry and Commerce; the Ministry of Education, the National Security Ministry; the Labour Ministry; the Public Administration Ministry; and the Caricom Regional Youth Council.

The Youth Development and National Service Ministry said it remained committed to bringing all stakeholders together to promote youth development and encouraged civic-minded citizens to contribute to national service across TT.