Latest update April 18th, 2025 8:12 AM
Youth unemployment to be tackled – as 2016 budget allocates funds
Finance Minister Winston Jordan today told the National Assembly that government recognises youths as “assets”, and hence, the 2016 National Budget caters for education and job creation for this category of citizens.
During his presentation of the National Budget, he said the National Youth Policy has been completed, and preparatory work has commenced on the National Youth Empowerment Action Plan.
With the high employment rate among youths, the Minister gave a snippet of what the government initiatives are meant to realise. “We intend to develop youth who are creative, industrious, skilled, ambitious and qualified to fulfill career and vocational aspirations while enjoying their youth.”
The Minister pointed out that in tackling unemployment, education training and job creation must be taken into consideration. According to Minister Jordan, substantial funds are allotted to deal with youth unemployment as there are “resources for training at both the technical and vocational levels and in youth entrepreneurship.” 
Minister Jordan noted that youth consultants from all the regions explained that youths are ill equipped and unemployed. Therefore, “We will work to establish a more permanent funding structure for entrepreneurship and micro-lending for persons under 30, as a special Youth Investment Fund.”
Further, Minister Jordan noted that apart from unemployment, the policy addresses health, sport and culture. “It is believed that Guyana’s youth population needs a healthy and safe environment in which to develop their sport and cultural skills,” the Minister explained.
The youth policy details the vision of the Government for youths, and also how this vision will be realised. The policy caters to the needs of youths aged 15 to 35 years, which constitutes over 50 percent of Guyana’s population. (GINA)
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