EDUCATION minister Maxine Henry-Wilson is challenging private sector companies to offer more summer employment to young people as a way to motivate them and to improve their self-esteem.

Henry-Wilson noted that although thousands of youngsters received employment under the National Youth Service (NYS) over the past four years, the response of the private sector to the programme could have been better.

“In four years, the NYS was able to offer over 27,000 jobs to young people between 15 and 18 in a four-year period, but unfortunately the placement in the private sector has not been what they had hoped it would be,” Henry-Wilson said.

The minister was speaking last week at the launch of an initiative by telecommunications company, Flow, to provide high speed broadband internet service free to all public high schools in areas where the service is offered by the company.

Henry-Wilson said, meanwhile, that the private sector needed to form partnerships with the education system, not only by giving money but by providing mentorship and summer jobs.

“For young people who get a summer job, when we talk about a social and a life changing experience, that is very important,” she said.