A constant for successive governments in modern Jamaica has been the push to equip youth with not just formal academic education but skills training and capacity-building.

Since the apprenticeship and related skills training programmes of the 1950s/60s the more formalised National Youth Service (NYS), started in 1973; the HEART Trust/NTA, initiated in the 1980s — with which the NYS was subsequently merged — Jamaican youth have been empowered across the spectrum.

Admittedly, such youth development programmes have never been as well-resourced as would be ideal — budgetary constraints always a headache.

And, just as was the case for every other sector, such programmes suffered from the devastating impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

To the credit of the Government, the economy has recovered to the extent that there is increasing attention to youth on the verge of leaving the school system, or who have just left.

In late June, Minister of Local Government and Community Development Mr Desmond McKenzie said the annual Youth Summer Employment Programme (YSEP), now in its seventh year, had grown from 1,600 participants at the launch in 2016 to 6,500.

The programme provides employment opportunities for young people during the summer months, enabling them to gain valuable skills and work experience while earning an income.

We are equally admiring of the $2-billion internship initiative, Learning and Investment for Transformation (Lift) Programme, which the Government tells us is aimed at socially and economically elevating young people.

This programme is set to train 500 teenagers annually — 2,500 over a five-year period — essentially preparing them for the work environment through skills training, one-year job placement, and other opportunities.

We applaud the effort to assist with formal documentation and life skills such as driving lessons — so often taken for granted but absolutely important for young people.

Says Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon, the minister with responsibility for skills and digital training: “So we will take them [participants] through eight weeks of skills training… we will help them to open bank accounts, we will help them to get their tax registration number, we will help them to get their national insurance scheme number, and their driver’s licence. They will be taken through a programme where they learn to drive. We will provide them with their provisional driver”s licence exam and, during the period of placement, we will collaborate… for them to do their actual driving test…”

As Government’s budgetary capacity improves we expect even more such efforts.

Crucially, there should be no hint of partisan politics. We agree that elected politicians — not just Members of Parliament (MP) — are well placed to make recommendations. However, since MPs’ constituency offices are invariably perceived as representing political parties, it seems to us that those in charge may be better advised to have aspiring participants for the Lift Programme collect application forms at post offices, which are invariably located in major towns and villages.

Of course, there is the very convenient online option, with application forms to be made available on the website of the HEART/NSTA Trust.

Like all responsible Jamaicans, we will be watching with interest.