Gov’t is youth-centred, committed to training and employment – Holness

TO THE nominees and other members of the audience at the 2024-2025 Prime Minister’s National Youth Awards for Excellence, held on the lawns of Jamaica House on the evening of Saturday, May 31, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said, among other things, “Your government, which I administer, is building a new Jamaica, a Jamaica which begins with education and training. We firmly believe that your development is the cornerstone of personal and national development.

“This is why your government has made unprecedented investments to equip young Jamaicans from early childhood right up to the tertiary and vocational levels with knowledge and skills for the 21st-century economy and beyond. We are overhauling and modernising education at every stage, including Tech Voc and TVET so that no young person is left without a pathway to success, and this work is already bearing fruit.”

Dr Holness then went on to give a litany of programmes, policies, and projects, geared at youth employment and development, some of which are already implemented. These include the removal of all tuition fees from HEART/NSTA Trust training programmes up to Level Four, “opening doors for any Jamaican to learn a skill”. He said since the elimination of such fees, over 100,000 Jamaicans, mainly young Jamaicans, have enrolled in HEART training programmes, gaining certification in many areas.

There is the creation of the Learning and Investment for Transformation programme and the Community Action for Rewarding Engagement programme. Under those programmes, over 1,250 unattached youths across Jamaica are now receiving training “to help them bridge the work-to-school-to-work transition”.

There is also the introduction of cutting-edge technology training for youths through public-private partnerships with organisations such as the The Amber/HEART NSTA Coding Academy. For youths with STEM talent, there is the introduction of grants of up to $300,000 for recent graduates of HEART Level 4 STEM courses to buy specialised tools, software, and even to start up their own businesses.

To that, the prime minister said, “In today’s technology-driven world, STEM touches every aspect of our lives, influencing how we live, learn, work, play, and communicate. It is, therefore, critical that our youths, whether they specialise in STEM disciplines or not, have a functional understanding of STEM. We recognise that artificial intelligence and digital innovation will shape the jobs of tomorrow. Jamaica will not be left behind. You will not be left behind in the digital and technological revolutions that we now face.”

One of the new award categories this year is ‘Special Abilities’, which was won by Kristina Kelly, who has Down Syndrome, and the prime minister, also said, “Our key focus is on young people with disabilities or special needs. They are talented as you would have seen in the band performing. I was blown away by them. They are capable Jamaicans who deserve equal access to education, training, employment, and entrepreneurial support.

“We have budgeted more funds than ever for special education and training, and the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities is strengthened by virtue of our improved budgetary allocations. Our young people with special abilities are gifted, and Jamaica will benefit greatly when all of them can contribute.

As it relates to employment, the prime minister said Jamaica’s economy is delivering results for young people and that youth unemployment has been cut by more than half, and it has fallen to record low levels. In April 2025, the youth unemployment rate was 33.2 per cent, and now it is “very low, somewhere in the region of about 10 to 11 per cent”. Young people have a 90 per cent probability of being employed if they have skills and certification.

Tor those who aspire to start a business or pursue creative ventures, the Government is fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem, and agencies like the Development Bank of Jamaica are now offering affordable grants and financing to young innovators and micro entrepreneurs, including a special $2 billion allocation this year to start-ups and small businesses.

Dr Holness said there was also a recent announcement of a cultural apprenticeship programme, which would be piloted with 200 talented young people very soon. They can receive mentoring and hands-on experience in areas such as music, film, and art and entertainment. They will be receiving an in-training stipend.

“This will be a historic initiative to give you an opportunity to convert your cultural capital to economic opportunity. This is the first time in the history of Jamaica that any government can say that they are making targeted investments in developing the next generation of creatives,” the prime minister declared.

“I can confidently say that this Government is the most youth-friendly and youth-centred government in the history of Jamaica. My young friends, all our policies and programmes in education, training, housing, jobs stem from the simple fact that you are the heart of development. Your generation will transform Jamaica.”