KINGSTON, Jamaica— Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced that over 20,000 young people will participate in the Government’s summer employment programmes this year.

Speaking at the launch of the Ministry of Local Government Youth Summer Employment Programme (YSEP) at the William Knibb Memorial High School in Trelawny on Friday, Holness said some 10,000 will be employed under that programme, another 4,000 by HEART/NSTA, 1,200 by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), in addition to other government agencies which will also be employing.

“The Government of Jamaica is doing over 20,000 summer jobs. This will include what other ministries will be doing on their own and what other entities are doing on their own. So when you put them all together; big ones with what local government is doing, what TEF is doing, what HEART is doing, but the various government ministries and entities are also employing on their own,” Holness said.

“So we are doing a fantastic job in ensuring that you get work experience that will eventually form the basis on which you will become permanent members of the Jamaica labour force,” he added.

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie touted that the 10,000 summer jobs provided by his ministry is the largest across the Caribbean.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a programme that takes into consideration the needs of young people during the summer. It is the first [time] Jamaica has experienced a youth summer employment programme of this magnitude and I am going to say that it is the largest youth summer employment programme in the Caribbean,” McKenzie said.

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie speaking at the launch of the Ministry of Local Government Youth Summer Employment Programme (YSEP).

He outlined that one feature of the programme, which will kick off in the second week in July, will be a great emphasis on the homeless population, adding that the first two weeks will see the participants involved in “a sensitisation programme”.

“And right across the country participants who will be assigned to the Poor Relief Department will undertake a survey of the size of our homeless population,” McKenzie informed.

Additionally, he stressed that “technology will be playing an important role in what you do this year”.

“We are going to be training you to use certain systems that we have in the Ministry of Local Government to identify the expanding road networks across the country.  Every aspect of local government will be covered this year under the programme,” he said.

“I know the mayors, the councillors and the administrative staff of the respective municipal corporations are looking forward to four weeks of outstanding performance by the future of Jamaica,” he added.

But he warned the participants to be on their best behaviour.

“I want to urge the young people going out and interacting with the wider public… If I stand at this microphone and say we don’t have challenges with some of our YSEP workers then I wouldn’t be speaking the truth. We have had challenges and we have put in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure that [there are no recurrences]. Some of them are returning and I am urging them not to fall by the wayside,” he said.

“This is a stepping stone in building confidence as you go out into the world to seek employment. This year we will be paying our YSEM programme $60,000 for the month.

“I want to urge you to treat this programme in the same way that you treat your future. You are building on a foundation that has been built by a government, led by Prime Minister Andrew Holness who has placed great emphasis on providing the kind of leadership for young people across the country,” he added.