SENIOR Director for Programmes at the National Youth Service (NYS) Alicia Williams has underscored the importance of the National Service Corps Programme (NSCP) in transforming lives and boosting national development.

The programme is specifically designed to support young persons between 18 and 24 years old who are not employed or enrolled in an educational institution.

Williams told JIS News that the NSCP will expose participants to both core and technical skills that will empower them to become well-rounded individuals who are able to make meaningful contributions to Jamaica’s social and economic development.

“The NSCP is an intervention of the Government to seek to engage unattached youth who would not normally qualify for jobs, persons without CXCs, and persons who are illiterate and innumerate,” she said.

“So, these opportunities that the programme presents are brought under one umbrella where persons who need re-mediation can get that from the Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning; they can also get skills training, they can be supported while they are being trained, and they will also get a chance to give back to national development,” the senior director outlined.

She explained that the programme is a partnership with Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment and includes the implementation of the Learn, Earn, Give and Save strategy.

“So, young people who participate in this programme will get a stipend paid by the ministries, departments and agencies that have engaged them, and from that amount, a compulsory saving is withdrawn and held until they complete the placement component, allowing them to learn while they earn, give back by contributing to society and appreciate the value of saving,” Williams said.

The training component of the programme covers technical areas, such as environmental management; geographic information system; infrastructure and construction; registration, verification and audit; hospitality; document management and digitisation and the National Service Enlistment Programme, which is managed by the Jamaica Defence Force.

On completion of the training, participants are placed at the various MDAs for a six- to 12-month period.

“The MDAs are also encouraged to do on-the-job training… so while we would have given them general training in certain key areas, based on their needs, we encourage our partners to have an orientation which is more tailored to helping participants’ transition within the specific work placement site,” she said.

Williams added that the transformation is evident in persons who participate in the programme, and urged MDAs to be a part of the initiative, which is “positively impacting lives, families, communities and the society”.