Ministry of National Security Launches Job Skills Training Initiative for Unemployed Youths

Tue, Oct 16th 2018, 03:33 PM

The Ministry of National Security signed a contract with the National Training Agency (NTA) to provide training for hundreds of young, unemployed Bahamians. The contract was signed at the Paul Farquharson Centre, Police Headquarters, October 15, 2018.

The contract signing marks a major milestone in the progress of the Ministry’s Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP). The CSJP is a multi-faceted crime and violence prevention initiative of the Ministry of National Security, funded by a $20 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank. The objective of the CSJP is to reduce crime and build community safety.

“Today’s contract signing is an excellent demonstration that the government fully understands the connection between unemployment and crime,” said Minister of National Security, the Hon. Marvin Dames. “The government remains concerned about the rate of unemployment in The Bahamas; in particular, the high rate of unemployment among our young people.”

Also in attendance were Minister of Labour, the Hon. Dion Foulkes; NTA Executive Director Gadville McDonald; and IDB Acting Country Representative Michael Nelson.

Minister Dames said that NTA has been mandated to build competency-based training and a job placement system, flexible and responsive to the realities of the Bahamian workplace.

He said that hundreds of Bahamians have already received certification through NTA and its range of training opportunities for the unemployed, or those who need to sharpen their job skills.

Minister Dames said: “In re-launching the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP), the Government of The Bahamas has demonstrated its commitment to increasing opportunities for unemployed Bahamians to acquire the strong and relevant job skills needed to find a job and maintain employment. The CSJP represents a comprehensive approach to reducing crime and violence in The Bahamas.

According to CSJP Project Manager, Dr. Dorcas Cox, the agreement has been a work in progress since 2017 and is a partnership between the National Training Agency, the Department of Labour, the Citizen Security and Justice Programme, and the Ministry of National Security.

“One of the objectives of the Programme is to increase employability and employment among the vulnerable youth population in New Providence by collaborating with ministries and agencies to support meaningful opportunities such as this one,” said Dr. Cox.

The Ministry of National Security applied part of the proceeds of the IDB loan to contract the NTA to provide training that will certify 260 eligible trainees over the next twelve weeks.

The first four weeks of training will focus on the development of soft skills, such as responsibility, commitment, teamwork building, persistence, self-control, and remedial education in literacy and numeracy.

The final eight weeks will involve comprehensive on-site employment training with special emphasis on hospitality and retail sectors.

The Ministry of National Security signed a contract with the National Training Agency to conduct a job skills program that will provide training for hundreds of young, unemployed Bahamians. A signing ceremony was held at the Paul Farquharson Centre, Police Headquarters, on October 15, 2018. Pictured, l-r: Gadville McDonald, Executive Director, NTA; Cecilia Strachan, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour; Senator the Hon. Dion Foulkes, Minister of Labour; the Hon. Marvin Dames, Minister of National Security; Michael Nelson, Acting Country Representative, IDB; Eugene Poitier, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of National Security; and Dr. Dorcas Cox, Project Manager of the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP). (BIS Photo/Kristaan Ingraham)

By Betty Vedrine

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