On Monday 2nd October 2023, the New Democratic Party (NDP) launched its Youth Guarantee Pledge. The pledge affirms that by the end of our first term in government every young person will have the opportunity to be employed, or to participate in a training program, or be engaged in an internship program.
To deliver this pledge, the NDP has planned a number of initiatives. The centrepiece is the construction of a new Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centre of excellence. This will ensure young people can access training, which will give them the skills needed to gain meaningful employment.
We will also embark on a massive jobs expansion programme to increase the number of jobs being created each year. This will be built on the four pillars of the economy:Agriculture, Blue Economy, New Economy, and Tourism.
President of the NDP, Dr Godwin Friday said: “This is an exciting day for us. We are proud to make this pledge to the young people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The NDP is committed to building an economy that works for everyone. It doesn’t matter their background, the young people will have the training and opportunities they need to thrive and improve their quality of life.”
Member of Parliament for Southern Grenadines, the Hon. Terrence Ollivierre said: “By every metric, the government is failing our young people. Our youth unemployment is abysmal, our migration rate is one of the highest in the Eastern Caribbean, and poverty remains a fact of life for too many young people. Over a third – approximately 36% of the population is 29 years old or younger and youth unemployment is at 41%. This is higher than when the ULP came into office.”
He went on to say: “More job creation is needed and our people must get those jobs or be enabled to get the training and experience required to fill the jobs created.”. “.
