Minister of Education, Youth and Information Senator Ruel Reid is assuring that no programmes will be cut when the country’s three training agencies are merged.

Instead, he noted that there will be an expansion and strengthening of the services to be provided to Jamaica’s youth through the combined HEART Trust/NTA, Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning and the National Youth Service (NYS).

“We are not abolishing the services of the NYS. When the merger takes place, it means those institutions are being merged into the operations of the HEART Trust/NTA and the services will be delivered through the mechanisms that will be established,” he said.

The minister was responding to questions on the merger during the sitting of the Standing Finance Committee in the House of Representatives last Thursday.

The merger, which will eliminate overlap and duplication in operations, falls in line with the Government’s Public Sector Rationalisation Programme.

Senator Reid further explained that the consolidation of the institutions is being undertaken to enable the Government to better provide services for youth, adding that the intention is to serve 135,000 youth from 190 locations.

The minister pointed out that through this move the Administration is working to ensure that no youth is left behind, and that there is an institutional framework “that can reach every youth to transform and empower them.

In the meantime, the education minister informed that there is ongoing dialogue with the staff of the three institutions.

“There are merger committees (in place) to work out all the programmes and activities to make sure that there is no displacement of staff,” he said.

Also speaking on the matter, state minister in the ministry Floyd Green assured that the “mandate of the NYS will not be lost” with the merger of the entities.

He noted that the merger will now allow for the facilitation of more job placements for youth, pointing to plans to increase this from 6,000 last year to 8,000 this year.