Conference Promotes Solutions for the Caribbean’s Unemployed Youth
Read All PostsPrime Minister Calls on Business and Government Leaders To Expand Education and Job Training Opportunities
The International Youth Foundation (IYF) convened in Gros Inlet, Saint Lucia, for a a two-day regional meeting of business, government, NGO, and youth leaders from across the Caribbean to discuss both the challenges and opportunities facing the region’s youth as they seek to find employment and become fully integrated into the local economy and the broader society. Nearly one third of all youth in the region are unemployed. The event was made possible through funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)'s support for the Caribbean Youth Empowerment Program (CYEP), an initiative of the IYF.
The Honorable Kenny Anthony, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, opened the “Investing in the Future: Empowering Young People” conference with an impassioned keynote address calling on all sectors of society to work together to improve the lives of the region’s young people. “We must give youth real choices to get out of poverty; to remain proud and dignified; to embrace empowerment, enfranchisement, entrepreneurship, and education; and to give back to their communities.” Underscoring the need for youth to acquire skills that are relevant to both the labor market and active citizenship, the Prime Minister added: “I hope that the dialogue at this conference can help build up a different outlook that can project hope for the future.”
The event attracted over 100 participants—including top representatives from USAID, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Commonwealth Secretariat, as well as government, private sector, civil society, juvenile justice and youth leaders from a dozen Caribbean countries.
“IYF is very pleased to be part of this region-wide dialogue about how to ensure our young people—particularly those who are struggling to find a job or are in trouble with the law – have the opportunities they need to be successful workers, entrepreneurs, and leaders in their communities,” said Peter Shiras, Executive Vice President of the International Youth Foundation. “Every one of you here today has a critical role to play helping young people shape their own lives and futures.”
Launched in 2008, CYEP equips vulnerable youth across the region with the technical, vocational, business development, and life skills they need to develop sustainable livelihoods. Youth participants in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and Saint Lucia receive life and employability skills, entrepreneurship training, career counseling, and job placement services through this initiative. To date, 1,749 young people have benefited from the program.
Throughout the event, panelists and participants explored social and economic barriers to youth employment; learned about proven programs and innovative tools to expand job and entrepreneurship opportunities; and shared their knowledge and expertise on wide range of youth-related topics.
Dr. Stephen King, Co-founder of RISE (Saint Lucia) Inc. and an Independent Senator, underscored the need for collaboration on these critical issues. "Our focus is clear: our youth and our society are facing harsh realities that need to be addressed by concerted, sustained, and effective joint action. By coordinating our efforts and resources, we can reach our ultimate goal: for every young person to have the opportunities they need to be productive and have hope in their lives.”
Young people played a key role in the conference—leading panel discussions, adding their voices to the ongoing dialogue and assisting conference staff as volunteers. Several former inmates from the Bordelais Correctional Facility in Saint Lucia—who graduated from the CYEP job training program and now have jobs —lshared their personal journeys through poems they had written as part of the program.