Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley. (FP)
The Government of Barbados has and will continue to have various programmes to uplift the country’s youth.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley, gave this assurance as he delivered the opening remarks yesterday at his Ministry’s Open Day at Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall.
Reflecting on the genesis of his Ministry’s push to further youth development in Barbados, Mr. Lashley explained that its overall mandate was “to facilitate the needs and aspirations of all young people in Barbados”.
Amidst claims of rising youth unemployment, deviance and related challenges, he said that the Ministry offered a number of programmes aimed at developing young people and equipping them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and certification which would enable them to access jobs and career opportunities.
“Here at the Ministry of Youth, we go where young people can be found – in communities, on the blocks, in their homes, in the schools – to promote the Ministry’s programmes and apprise the youth of the benefits that can accrue from taking advantage of these programmes,” Mr. Lashley stated.
However, according to the Youth Minister, even with programmes such as Endless Possibilities, the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme, and the Barbados Youth Service, there are a number of young people “who appear not to avail themselves of these programme opportunities”.
As a result, he implored the youth gathered for the Open Day to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Ministry of Youth.
The Open Day was designed to expand the Ministry’s outreach and introduce young people to the programmes it offers.