Photo: (From left) Nestle country manager, Jurg Blaser, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information Floyd Green, and Principal of the University of West Indies, Mona Archibald McDonald share a light moment.

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With Jamaica’s youth unemployment rate over 30%, one company is continuing their fight against it.

Nestle, last Friday in the Assembly Hall of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, launched their Nestle needs YOUth initiative aimed at “hiring and training students, better empowering and equipping them for the work world.”

Hosted by youth advocate Emprezz Golding, the event was kept lively before Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information Floyd Green’s arrival. Minister Green told the professionally dressed youngsters at the even that the government remembered them. He assured them that there was a focus on programmes to reduce youth unemployment including a partnership with the International Development Bank (IDB) and the Private Sector Association of Jamaica (PSOJ).

Various booths were available to help the youngsters present with their employability: the self-assessment station where they answered questions and received a suggested career path based on their answers, the resume clinic interview techniques boulevard, dressing for success as well as booths aimed at placing them in summer positions. The latter booths were provided by Nestle, as well as Wisynco, Kirk Distributors and Young Culinary Talents (YOCUTA).

The initiative was supported by the University of the West Indies (UWI), University of Technology (UTech), Northern Caribbean University (NCU) and the Heart Trust NTA, and Principal of UWI Professor Archibald McDonald was present to encourage the youth.