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| Minister of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley, in discussion with United Nations Children’s Fund??representative, Khin-Sandi Lwin, during the courtesy call. (A. Miller/BGIS)?? |
Government is worried about youth unemployment and it is seeking to put strategies in place to address it.
Minister of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley, expressed his concern recently when the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative, Khin-Sandi Lwin, paid him a courtesy call at his office in the Warrens Office Complex.
Mr. Lashley disclosed that Government had started a number of initiatives to tackle youth unemployment, but noted that additional ones were required. "If we don’t [address youth unemployment] then it can lead to other issues which we really don’t want. So, we are looking at how best to engage young people and deal with the issues confronting them."
The Minister pointed out that Cabinet had recently approved the National Youth Policy, which he described as a comprehensive strategy designed to empower young people. He explained that a number of structures were built in the Policy to allow young people to take some responsibility for their actions.
He told Ms. Lwin that his Ministry had enjoyed a very good relationship with UNICEF, adding that the organisation had been involved in some of the Ministry’s interventions.??
Ms. Lwin outlined some of UNICEF’s current programmes and promised continued assistance to the Ministry.