SOME 100 young people from St James, who are beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), are engaged in a three-week ‘Steps-To-Work’ summer camp being hosted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

The camp, which got underway Monday at Maldon High School in the parish, is targeted at young people aged 16 to 19, some of whom have dropped out of school.

They will be exposed to skills training, remediation, entrepreneurial training, job readiness and other interventions to enable them to re-enter the school system or seek employment.

It will culminate on August 28 with a graduation and presentation of HEART Trust/NTA certificates.

“We are expanding a little bit more in terms of students who have already acquired three or more CXCs but are in need of further educational assistance or skills training,” St James Parish Manager for the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Donoval Solomon said.

He added that apart from basic academic work, the main skills training areas are electrical installation, housekeeping, and woodwork.

Camp Administrator and Principal of Maldon High School, Janet Manning, said she is pleased that there is an academic component to the camp.

She said at the end of the camp, she is hoping that the participants “will be a little more rounded and a little bit more prepared for the workforce or another stage of learning”.

“I am hoping that they would have acquired or honed some skills here which they would be able to take with them into those areas,” she added.