GLEANER:  Recently, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Clifford Blake spoke about the fact that the police and the courts are unable to keep up with the number of at-risk youth in some communities.

 

“When we look at what is happening in the schools, were it a production line and we were producing criminals at the pace that they are being produced, and they are basically being thrown into the society, the supply would far outpace the demand that we have for them,” he said.

 

Data coming out of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) support Blake’s remarks.

 

Currently, there are approximately 148 million youth, ages 15 to 29, in Latin America and the Caribbean, who make up 40 per cent of the working population.

 

However, one in five youth does not work or study; one in three is at risk; the youth unemployment rate is as much as three times higher than the adult rate in some countries; and six in 10 jobs held by youth are informal.

 

At the same time, half the companies in the region are struggling to find qualified workers, especially for technical and trade jobs, because candidates lack the necessary life skills or abilities for that enable them to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.

 

In Jamaica, the situation is similar, according to statistics the youth unemployment rate stands at 29.6 per cent, which is almost double the national unemployment rate of 12.9 per cent.

 

And according to local employers, young people do not have the necessary life skills to get and keep a job.

 

 

 

IMPROVE LIVES

 

 

In response to this issue, the IDB, through its Multilateral Investment Fund, created the New Employment Opportunities (NEO) for Youth Project. NEO seeks to improve the lives of one million youth throughout 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil by 2022.

 

NEO seeks to close the gap between the skills of young people and the demand among companies for qualified personnel by coordinating and linking the efforts of the main stakeholders in the fields of education and training, the labour market, and the youth.

 

It is NEO’s mandate to be able to address these problems in a systemic manner and not simply through isolated and ad hoc efforts and scaling up effective models of vocational guidance, training, and job-placement services in an effort to increase the quality and relevance of job placement services and job opportunities for poor and vulnerable youth.

 

Each participating country, however, has its own mandate, and specifically, NEO Jamaica will seek to increase job opportunities for 10,000 poor, vulnerable, and low-income Jamaican young people ages 17 to 29, with 50 per cent of that cohort being women. The expected results are to broaden the quality and relevance of training programmes and employment systems for vulnerable young people in the country.

 

Ninety professionals at 11 training and employment centres across the island, the majority of which are operated by the HEART Trust/NTA and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, will be trained according to the NEO Quality Standards Guide.

 

These professionals will also be exposed to more effective teaching methods and more effective career guidance, counselling, and job search assistance measures to help promote closer links between the education system and the labour market.

 

A key aspect of NEO is the Passport to Success life skills training programme, which will be provided by the International Youth Foundation to the selected professionals across the 11 training centres. Passport to Success will help to equip our professionals with the tools to properly impart the necessary life skills to the young people and is one of the best ways to help bridge the gap that exists between the skills of the young people and the skills employers are looking for.

 

These skills include:

 

– Personal competencies (managing strong emotions, setting goals, managing stress, etc)

 

– Solving problems and managing conflict

 

– How to effectively work in teams

 

– Respecting diversity and authority

 

– Leadership, decision making and negotiation skills

 

– Effective presentation skills

 

– Time management

 

The NEO Jamaica Project ends in 2019, but in the long term, we anticipate stronger emphasis on soft-skills training and job-placement services; increased knowledge among youth of the importance of soft skills; and greater willingness on the part of the private sector to employ poor and vulnerable youth.

 

If we are able to assist our school system in turning out young people who can finally meet employers’ needs while at the same time enhancing our overall youth workforce, we would have effectively done our part in advancing the growth and development of our beloved country in a meaningful way.

 

[email protected]

JIS: Some of the country’s community colleges have taken steps to incorporate Business Process Management and Logistics-related programmes into their curriculum, in a move that aligns with the strategic direction of the Government and respond to the emerging needs of the Jamaican economy.Executive Director of the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ), Dr Donna Powell Wilson, said at least one college already offers an Associate’s Degree in Business Process Management. She was in addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘ Think Tank’ on Thursday, May 25.

 

The Portmore Community College took the lead in developing the curriculum, which has been made available to other colleges across the island. An additional two colleges will start offering the programme in September.

 

“We have also established relationships with the BPO industry, so our learners will have the opportunity to do their work experience in some of those institutions,” Dr Powell Wilson said, adding that the CCCJ seeks to ensure that colleges are always responding effectively to the demands of the labour market.

 

She noted that community colleges have, in the meantime, been offering BPO and logistics-related programmes, such as the Associate in Business Studies and the Associate in Engineering Studies. The CCCJ will be developing a professional certification for persons who have completed those programmes.

 

“That certificate will (show they have) the competency and skills for them to operate in the BPO, at a step above entry level,” Dr Powell Wilson said.

 

Meanwhile, Principal of Knox Community College and President of the Association of Principals and Vice Principals of Community Colleges, Dr Gordon Cowans, said the swift response of the colleges to the emerging needs of the economy speaks to the flexibility of the sector.

“We are able to respond to not just the immediate community needs but also to the national economy’s demands. So we are very proud,” he said.

Dr Cowans further noted that the community colleges will in a few weeks, through collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, facilitate the training of high school students for entry level students in Business Process Outsourcing.

 

Some 3,000 to 4,000 youth will participate in the training, which will utilize the facilities and other resources of the community colleges.

 

There are eight community colleges in Jamaica in 25 different locations across the island. They are the Bethlehem Moravian College, Moneague College, the College of Agriculture Science and Education (CASE), Excelsior Community College, Montego Bay Community College, Brown’s Town Community College, Portmore Community College and Knox Community College.

 

CAPTION: Executive Director of the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica, Dr Donna Powell Wilson, (Photo: JIS)

JIS: As part of the ongoing public education campaign on child protection, representatives from several ministries and agencies participated in a sensitisation session with residents of Whitehall Avenue, Kingston 8, yesterday (May 24).

 

Included were the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR), the Child Development Agency (CDA) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). They took part in a walk-through, engaging members of the community on child-protection measures.

 

The event also featured the unveiling of a refreshed mural of abduction victim, Ananda Dean, who attended a primary school in the community. She was reported missing on September 17, 2008 and was found dead sometime after.

 

To honour her memory, the national child recovery strategy – the Ananda Alert System – was established, replacing the Red Alert.

 

It aimed to mobilise the public and private sectors, civil society and communities to work with law enforcement to assist in the speedy and safe recovery of missing children.

 

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, who spoke at the function, said the artwork honours the memory of the young community member, whose life was tragically cut short, and serves as a reminder that all well-thinking Jamaicans should do their part to protect children.

 

“It reminds all of us that we have a responsibility to take care of our children. I want to commend the OCR and the CDA for ensuring that the mural is always kept in good condition in memory of her,” the State Minister said.

 

He pledged the continued support of the Ministry in protecting the nation’s youth, and reminded persons that the updated reporting timeline now allows persons to make a missing-person report before 24 hours have passed.

 

“When it is suspected that the child has gone missing, there is no need to wait 24 hours to make a report. Once you reasonably believe that your child is missing, you can report it, so that the police can start acting on it, because every minute is important when a child has gone missing,” the State Minister said.

 

Meanwhile, Head of the Ananda Alert Secretariat, Nathalie Ferguson, told JIS News that the initiative has been making a significant impact in the recovery of missing children.

 

“For 2016, we had 1,725 children reported missing. Of that number, 90 per cent were either returned or recovered. Unfortunately, four children who were reported missing were found dead, but the vast majority were returned or recovered,” she said.

 

Ms. Ferguson noted that at the end of 2016, the number of missing children stood at 265. She anticipates that the work of the Secretariat and the various public education initiatives in the child protection sector will influence a decline in this figure as more children are recovered and reunited with their families.

 

For his part, Member of Parliament for the area, and Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda, urged adults, particularly men, to show greater respect and care for children.

 

Father of Ananda Dean, Richard Dean, supported the call by the Minister, and lauded the proactive efforts of government, law enforcement and child-protection agencies in ensuring the safety of children.

 

“It is great to see the work being done to keep her memory alive and to keep other children safe,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Member of Parliament for St. Andrew North Central and Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda (third left), comforts Richard Dean (second left), grieving father of abduction victim, Ananda Dean, at the refreshed mural of the young girl on White Hall Avenue, Kingston 8, where Ananda attended a primary school. She was abducted and murdered in 2008. Occasion was a sensitisation session on child protection with members of the Whitehall Avenue community by representatives of several government and child-protection agencies, on May 24. Others (from left) are grandmother of Ananda, Darcy Williams; State Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green; Chief Executive Officer of the Child Development Agency (CDA), Rosalee Gage-Grey and three-year old sister of Ananda, Peyton Dean.

JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, is reporting that 500 volunteers were trained last year to assist in search and rescue operations when a child is reported missing.

 

The volunteers, from communities across the island, also received instruction in first aid techniques.

 

“Not only do we want to know that when a child has gone missing that the reports go out to all our media houses, we want to know that we have volunteers across the length and breadth of Jamaica, who will go out and start the process of searching to bring back our children,” Mr. Green said.

 

The Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR) published the first Search and Rescue Protocol in 2014, and conducted 10 training sessions through the Caribbean Search Centre of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) for over 150 volunteers in St. James, Trelawny, St. Ann, St. Thomas, Westmoreland and St. Catherine.

 

Mr. Green, who was addressing the Ananda Alert National Missing Children’s Forum at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, on Thursday (May 25), said the Government is committed to protecting the nation’s youth, and urged all well-thinking Jamaicans to do their part.

 

He noted that significant reforms have been undertaken in terms of how the State responds to missing children.

 

This includes updating the reporting timeline to allow for a missing-person report to be made before 24 hours have passed.

 

“Once you reasonably suspect that a child has gone missing, you can make that report to the police, to the OCR and we will start working on it immediately,” the State Minister pointed out.

 

In addition, a partnership has been forged with Facebook to broadcast Ananda Alerts to users of the social media site in Jamaica.

 

This is expected to broaden the search for missing children. These alerts will include photographs and other pertinent information about the child.

 

In the meantime, the Minister urged parents to do more to ensure that their children feel safe and protected.

 

“A lot of children leave home because of what they term as maltreatment and neglect,” he pointed out.

 

He said the Ananda Alert Secretariat has undertaken an internal study to determine the profile of children who go missing and the main reasons they give. He said it is the intention of the Secretariat to undertake a broader survey.

 

Between 2009 and 2016, a total of 15,524 children were reported missing. This represents an average of 1,941 children going missing each year, with 78 per cent being girls and 22 per cent, boys.

 

Last year, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) reported some 1,725 children missing, a decline of 11 per cent over the previous year.

 

The State Minister pointed out that 90 per cent of missing children return home. “I do not take comfort in the fact that we have a 90 per cent return rate because it does mean that there are 10 per cent that remain unaccounted for,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (left), in conversation with Deputy Executive Director of National Integrity Action (NIA), Patrece Charles (centre); and Registrar, Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR), Greig Smith. Occasion was the Ananda Alert Missing Children’s Forum at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, on Thursday (May 25).

THE GLEANER:  Since 2000, a number of changes have been implemented to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the education system as the country prepares its citizens to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Significant to this process was the Bruce Golding-led administration’s piloting in 2011 of a forward-thinking bill in Parliament titled The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) Act 2011.

 

Particular attention should be paid to Section 13 (3k) (ii) of the bill, which establishes and recognises “the right of every child who is a citizen of Jamaica to benefit from publicly funded tuition in a public educational institution at the pre-primary and primary levels”.

 

It is a well-known fact that a country that caters to the needs of its children by ensuring that they get the best possible start in life and have access to quality basic education will be a country to reckon with. Education is a human right and a key factor to reducing poverty. Therefore, it is the duty of the Government to expand and improve access to quality education for ALL children.

 

Incumbent Education Minister Ruel Reid, at a press conference held at his ministry office on May 1, 2017, indicated his commitment to this stance when he stated that “after undertaking consultation and revision of the MoEYI policy for 2017-2018, the philosophy is that public education should be properly funded by Government, while encouraging stakeholders to make voluntary contribution”. This viewpoint is in support of the same position taken by one of his predecessors and now prime minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness.

 

I am very proud of the fact that not only have we enacted critical legislation to protect the rights of children, but that the Government is also taking the steps necessary for actualisation by funding and putting resources into the system to ensure that this fundamental right is provided for as outlined in Section 13 (3k) (ii).

 

 New Arrangement

 

 For years, primary schools have been underfunded. Previously, a total of $920 per capita was allocated for the school year. However, under the new arrangement, this amount will be increased to $2,500 per capita for the year, and all-age schools will see an increase from $11,000 per capita to the same as secondary schools, which is $19,000 per capita for the year. This is a laudable move by the minister.

 

Commendable as well is that approximately $1.761 billion has been allocated for the PATH feeding grant. This new allocation of funds will result in PATH students receiving meals for five days instead of the three or four days that was the norm previously.

 

Last week, I was privileged to be part of a meeting with some educators. After the meeting, one of the attendees felt compelled to ask, “Weh unno get so much money from to do so much?” Better yet, after the meeting, I received numerous calls from primary-school principals stating that the new arrangement would allow them to do much more for their institutions and would help them to avoid indebtedness for the start of the upcoming school year.

 

It is obvious that the priority of this Government is “education for all”, and wherever the resources will come from, they will be obtained. Expanding the ministry’s focus from early childhood and secondary to now include strengthening and offering more support at the primary level is another step in the right direction. It shows commitment to equipping the country’s human resources with the skills necessary to create a knowledge-based society that is fully productive and more conducive for our families to live work and raise families.

 

Frankly, it costs us too much – socially, economically, and financially – when we fail to invest in education. Kudos to the Government for displaying the vision and the willpower to “spend a little early to save a lot later”.

 

CAPTION:  Robert D. Miller is senior adviser to Minister of Education, Youth and Information

JIS: More than 1,000 children were treated to special tokens and snacks this morning (May 19) by members of the National Child Month Committee (NCMC) and volunteers, in observance of National Children’s Day.

 

Some 250 volunteers from the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR), the Child Development Agency (CDA), the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) and the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) gathered in four major town centres – downtown Kingston; Papine, St. Andrew; Greater Portmore, St. Catherine; and Yallahs, St. Thomas, where they greeted children and spread the message of love and protection for the nation’s youth.

 

This was in keeping with the Child Month theme, ‘Take Action! Break the Chain of Abuse Against Children’.

 

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, who joined the team at St. William Grant Park in Kingston, commended the NCMC and its partners for their commitment to the annual Children’s Day activity and pledged the Government’s support for its continued success.

 

He is encouraging members of the public to join the efforts of the NCMC and do their part to protect the nation’s children.

 

“Outside of the day, we need to do more. We all need to recognise that we have a job to do in protecting all our children. As adults, we have a responsibility to look out for every child and… if they are in danger, that we protect them,” Mr. Green said in an interview with JIS News.

 

“We want our children to grow up in an environment where they can become caring, confident and responsible adults, but they can’t do that if they are being taken advantage of, neglected or abused. Look around in your communities to see if children are getting the care they need, and if they are not, you need to do something about it,” he urged.

 

Chair of the NCMC, Dr. Pauline Mullings, said the theme seeks to encourage active participation by the public in protecting the nation’s youth.

 

“We realise that our children are faced today with numerous abuses, such as neglect; sexual, physical and emotional abuse; and issues such as human trafficking and missing children. We realise many persons are aware of these issues, but aren’t doing anything about it… and we want people to report abuses and get involved,” she said.

 

Dr. Mullings noted that the annual Children’s Day activity encourages members of the public to wear yellow to show support for children. She said the initiative, now in its fifth year, has gained traction.

 

“This year, we have noticed that there are more adults in yellow… . It is getting better in terms of support and public awareness. What we hope to achieve is for adults to show more care and love, not just for their children but also for every child, because every child is important,” she noted.

 

Grade-five student of the Kingsway Pre-Kindergarten and Preparatory School, Jordan Beek, expressed appreciation for the special attention by the NCMC.

 

“I want to see more organisations sending out their workers to go and find those children that are in need and help them… . I feel happy because they are doing something good for the children,” he said.

 

Children’s Day is celebrated on the third Friday of May each year. It is supported by 35 government and private-sector entities.

 

CAPTION: Chair of the National Child Month Committee (NCMC), Dr. Pauline Mullings (left), hugs lower-sixth-form student of the Wolmer’s Girls’ School, Shakeema Evans, during the National Child Month Committee’s (NCMC) annual Children’s Day activity held on May 19 at St. William Grant Park, downtown Kingston.

JIS: The HEART Trust/NTA is looking to engage 25,200 young people this year under its Youth Summer Employment Programme.

 

This is a significant increase over the approximately 6,000 persons who were employed in 2016.

 

In an interview with JIS News, Senior Director for Community Services, Youth Services Division, HEART Trust/NTA, Rayharna Wright, explained that with the merger of the National Youth Service (NYS) with the agency on April 1, 2017, the budget for the programme was increased to accommodate a larger number of young people.

 

The Youth Summer Employment Programme is an intervention targeting youth attending secondary and tertiary institutions who need some meaningful work experience.  Graduates, who are unemployed, can also apply.

 

The programme is open to young people aged 17 to 29 and persons from the community of persons with disabilities between the ages of 17 and 34.

 

Interested persons are being asked to submit a completed application form, along with a passport-size photograph; résumé; Tax Registration Number (TRN); valid national identification; valid school identification; birth certificate; and proof of qualification, if there is any.

 

“No longer are persons required to have a minimum of three Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects to participate in the programme. It is now open to all young persons who are eligible to apply to the programme,” Ms. Wright informed.

 

She noted that more than 80 per cent of applicants are placed within the public sector.  However, there has been an increase in private-sector participation.

 

“We have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, and a lot of their members have come on board, along with other entities that are outside of the PSOJ,” she told JIS News.

 

She noted that the employer status of the programme has been extended to include engaging the young people in community summer schools or camps.

 

Ms. Wright said it is important for more private-sector entities to participate, as “it is not just employing these persons for three weeks but it is a national contribution to these young people, who some of these organisations will be employing in the future”.

 

Meanwhile, the deadline for application for the programme has been extended to Friday, May 26.

 

The initiative will be undertaken in three phases over three weeks, starting June 5;   July 3; and August 8.

 

For further information and application forms persons can call or visit the HEART Trust/NTA head and regional offices of visit their website at www.nysjamaica.org.

 

CAPTION: Senior Director for Community Services, Youth Services Division, HEART Trust/NTA, Rayharna Wright.

 

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has emphasised that the Government is not about censorship.

 

He pointed out that the Government is not considering censorship of communication done through various media entities and platforms, but noted that regulations have not been updated with the new era of communication.

 

“It is an issue that we can’t ignore; we will have to deal with it as civilised individuals. We are about ensuring that we protect the rights and freedoms of each citizen,” Senator Reid told a breakfast meeting held at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, today (May 19).

 

While outlining moves by the United Kingdom (UK) Government and Trinidad and Tobago to put forward a legal framework for cybercrimes and communication via the Internet, the Minister said that discussions are needed and a position taken, so that “we can articulate going forward”.

 

The issue, he said, requires a look on how the society has evolved, and “what we can do to make our society a better place”.

 

He said that a challenge exists where the landscape that the regulations were meant to govern has changed due to convergence.

 

“Traditional media has now converged with social media. Technology is driving media and has brought about a situation where the regulations required to properly marshal this new paradigm simply have not yet been created,” the Minister said.

 

The forum consisted of school principals and vice principals. It was organised by the UWI Faculty of Humanities and Education, under the theme ‘Education as a Collaborative Enterprise’.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), greets Lecturer at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, Faculty of Humanities and Education, Dr. Mairette Newman (left), at a breakfast meeting held today (May 19), at the university. Others (from left) are Lecturer in the Faculty, Dr. Yewande Lewis-Fokum, and Associate Dean, Dr. Marcia Rainford

JIS: This year, I wish to emphasize the importance of ensuring that the commitments made by the Government, Local and International organizations, community members and individuals to Jamaica’s children are extended to a group of children who are often forgotten or overlooked: those deprived of their liberty – children who are victims of child abuse.

 

These children are all OUR CHILDREN. They are our collective responsibility.

 

We continue to reiterate this and every year that Children are our greatest asset; as a nation, the responsibility is ours to ensure the creation of an environment in which children can grow up to become confident, caring adults, conscious of their social responsibilities. The reality however is that we have all failed to re-establish such an environment.

 

Hundreds of children in Jamaica are victims of crime and violence every year; on average, 15 in every 1000 children are the subject of a child abuse and maltreatment report.

 

“Take Action: Break the chain of Abuse against children” is a theme that resounds with a cry for help for a challenging but an inspirational message on this Children’s Day.

 

As a community, we have a social obligation to our children in assuring their well-being and holistic development are of utmost importance.

 

As such, I urge all Churches, NGO partners, community groups and neighborhood watches to join me in taking the initiative to host community walks across the island that ignite the development of plans and strategies for your respective populations that include child safe spaces that will foster an environment for taking real action in protecting our children.

 

The message on your walks can be simple.

 

If you suspect that a child is being abused, neglected or abandoned, you can help by calling 1-888-PROTECT (776-8328) to the Office of the Children’s Registry or the Child Development Agency at 948-2841-2. You may also visit or call the nearest Police Station.

 

To our Police Officers, namely the CISOCA officers I want to thank you for your vigilance in ensuring matters of violence and crime against children are handled with priority.

 

You are our children’s first point of contact, often times after heinous crimes have been committed and as such, I want to thank you in advance for the care you take in your interactions with them because the pain they feel never really goes away.

 

Finally, let me express my gratitude to the caregivers across institutions, private partners, foster parents and parents who have adopted. You have a significant responsibility and high duty of care for the children of this nation and it is by no easy feat. We will continue to support you while increasing accountability for the welfare of our children.

 

As a Global pathfinder nation, on a mission to protect our children from violence, we must all take pride in enabling our children to thrive in an environment of love and care.

 

Let us once again, communities near and far echo our commitment towards taking proper care of our children.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green