IT is anticipated that the proposed reform of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) will enhance the initiative’s reach and facilitate greater social mobility among beneficiaries, according to the labour minister.

It is spearheaded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and portfolio minister, Pearnel Charles Jr said the revamped PATH will seek to improve on the existing structures, systems, and delivery of services.

“We acknowledge that there are challenges with PATH. We acknowledge that there is the need for us to look at those challenges if we are going to achieve the transformation that we speak about,” Charles pointed out.

He was addressing the ministry’s town hall at St Gabriel’s Anglican Church in May Pen, Clarendon, on March 13, under the theme ‘On a PATH to Transformation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’. Charles said PATH’s transformation is timely, noting that the programme must be updated to meet the current needs of its clients.

“In 20 years, if the programme has not changed to fit the [evolving] needs of the population then you have a problem because where we were 20 years ago is not where we are today,” he emphasised.

A tracer study undertaken in 2021 found that former PATH beneficiaries enjoy greater economic well-being than their households of origin.

Charles noted that under PATH, the education level of household members improved as the majority of children were sent to school, in compliance with the conditions for continued receipt of cash transfers.

“If you are a student on PATH you have a higher likelihood of being economically successful and independent. It also confirmed that… PATH… did give significant support and assistance in terms of improving the educational level of the majority of children on PATH,” he pointed out.

Charles said the revised programme is a critical aspect of the ministry’s transformation as it carries out its mandate of moving beneficiaries towards economic independence and social mobility.