Tag Archives: youth

Vision 2030 Essay Competition

Posted on by
3

Display of essays

Yesterday, I attended an awards ceremony for an essay competition for the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s Vision 2030 National Development Plan. This initiative aims to make Jamaica “the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business” by the year 2030. Its goal is also to attain developed country status by this time. I had been involved in the communications strategy for this essay competition last fall, helping to come up with ways to spread the message to Jamaica’s youth. Essays were submitted prior to Christmas, they were judged by strict criteria and the winners were announced yesterday.

Backing up a bit, Vision 2030 has been around for a few years and was launched under a previous administration (a different party as well). It is still a relatively unknown concept and it is still at a nebulous stage, at least for the general public. That’s what this contest was, in part, meant to achieve- a greater awareness.

By all accounts, the entries (about 140 of them) were high quality. The contest was open to children aged 10-19 and they were required to write a short essay based on several themes. These included how to incorporate Vision 2030 into their own goals. A few excerpts were displayed, including a winning entry by a 10-year-old girl named Kadejah, and a 16-year-old girl. I was mesmerized by their writing skills. Jamaicans are amazing story-tellers, both in print and in person. They have a way of weaving vivid imagery into a story without getting overly flowery or losing the reader. It is a style I admire a lot.

In any case, the awards ceremony kicked off with the national anthem, of course, and then the MC, Miss Kamesha (2012 Miss Festival Queen Jamaica) took the stage. We heard from the head of the PIOJ and Education Minister Ronald Thwaites. But of course, everyone went bananas for the Vauxhall High School Choir. Then, the award winners were presented with their prizes- either an iPad or a Kindle Fire.

Next up is a contest for best song and best jingle. That should be fun.

Youth unemployment at record levels

Posted on by
Reply

Over the past eight months, I have had the privilege in being involved with a number of consultations and focus groups with youth from Kingston’s inner cities. We pick their brains time after time, asking them what their lives are like, what their hopes and dreams are and what they want to do with themselves. Their energy, candour and innovative personalities never fail to inspire me.

Most often, these youth are unemployed. They have participated in employment or mentoring programs through Youth Opportunities Unlimited, but given the way the local economy is, they are struggling to find work. This is not for lack of effort or skill. I have vetted many of their resumes: these are bright young people who want to work. In fact, this is the most common answer when we ask them what problems they face. They usually say unemployment.

Today, the Gleaner has a story that does not improve the picture for these young people. Unemployment among youth stands at three times the national average and it is worsening. It is currently at 32.2 per cent, compared to the overall unemployment rate of 12.8 per cent. That figure represents 162,900 jobs for youth, down from just over 165,000 during the previous year. Jamaica is a young population: the largest employed age group is 35-44, with the 25-34 age group representing the next largest group. In total, 1.095 people are employed in Jamaica, as of July 2012. Read below for the full story.

Jamaica’s youth unemployment, at 32.2 per cent, is close to three times the national average, and has worsened in the past year, according to new data from Statin.

Youth unemployment rose as high as 34.9 per cent in mid-2011.

The overall unemployment rate inched up to 12.8 per cent at July 2012, compared to 12.3 per cent a year ago, but was a marked improvement on the 14.3 per cent jobless rate estimated in the April 2012 survey.

The fall in the unemployment rate in July coincided with a dip in the size of the labour force since, suggesting that since April some persons had given up hope of finding work and left the market.

The labour force in July comprised 1.256 million, of which 161,300 were unemployed. The unemployed amounted to 179,900 in April within a labour force of 1.261 million; and 151,800 persons in July 2011 from a labour force of 1.235 million.

Planning Institute of Jamaica Director General Dr Gladstone Hutchinson, referencing the Statin data during a review of the quarterly economic performance, said Jamaica’s labour force increased by 20,600 in the past year.

Youth unemployment has consistently run at two or three times the national average.

The rate among 14-24-year-olds was 28.7 per cent in July 2011; 34.9 per cent in April 2012; and 32.2 per cent in the July quarter.

In July 2011, the youth group represented 165,100 jobs; a year later, that number was down to 162,900. The elderly, in the meantime, picked up additional work. Persons 65 and older held 56,300 jobs last year July; this year, the number has grown to 58,300.

The total number of persons employed as at July 2012 stood at 1.095 million, an increase of 1,100 relative to July 2011, Hutchinson said.

Eight of the 16 industry groups recorded increased employment levels year on year.

The largest, wholesale and retail, repair and motor vehicles and equipment, added up 13,800 jobs; manufacturing, 6,400; agriculture and its related sectors added 5,400 jobs; the occupation group ‘craft and related trades workers’ added 7,800; and ‘service workers and shop and market sales workers’, 7,300 jobs.

The majority of jobs are held by the 35-44 age grouping, followed by the 25-34 group.

LIME, photo ops, Santa and free phones!

Posted on by
Reply

Today Youth Opportunities Unlimited had a photo op with LIME Jamaica (Landline, Internet, Mobile and Entertainment Services). LIME has recently provided YOU with some funding to aid us in our Christmas card fundraiser. They invited us to attend their tree-lighting ceremony at their headquarters.

We arrived at about 1:20 as we were told the ceremony started at 1:30. We were greeted by a LIME marketing person who told us we would be called in about 2:00. So we hung out in a gazebo and drank juice. There were about 20 YOU youth who have benefitted from our programs. They all wore their YOU t-shirts, tucked in, pulled up their belted pants and hid their flashy jewelry.

Around 2:00, we were rounded up for a photo op with Santa, five elves (young women in rather revealing dresses?!?) and the LIME CEO Gary Sinclair. The media love LIME events, so there were lots of cameras. We all gathered around the Christmas tree as Sinclair lit it up as carols played in the background. Then, one of the marketing people grabbed one of our youth by the wrist (a young girl in her school uniform) and shoved her by the tree for Sinclair to officially present her with a “gift”, which was a LIME backpack with a phone inside! It is obviously very generous of them. Sinclair is a YOU board member.

Then, the entire group of youths were herded under the tree for another photo op with Sinclair, Santa and the elves. I snapped lots of pictures as well. And then it was all over. We were treated to a catered meal of chicken, oxtail, fish, rice and peas and salad. Everybody was clearly pleased with their new phones. And that was it.