The Ministry of Local Government through the Municipal Corporations is seeking to empower our youths through a Youth Summer Employment Programme (YSEP). The programme is an initiative of the Minister of Local Government and Community Development the Honourable Desmond McKenzie. It was launched on August 10, 2017 at Jamaica College, where participants from all parishes were present. Islandwide, each Parish Councillor was allowed to select ten (10) participants, while the Mayors were allowed fifteen (15).
The Programme focuses on three main areas of data collection:
• Streetlight – Identification of nonfunctional streetlamps
• Missing street name/sign
• Social/emergency assistance needs
The Expected Outcomes of the programme are:
1. An improved streetlight programme
2. An Improved emergency social assistance programme
3. A strong database of streetlight, street name signs and an enhanced database of vulnerable persons
4. Improved knowledge-base and skillset of the youth employed to the programme
5. Greater ability to monitor these programmes at the Ministry level
On Monday August 14, 2017, The St Ann Municipal Corporation conducted its orientation exercise at Cloisters Methodist Conference Centre. It was a very productive exercise and at the end of the programme, the participants were able to carry out the following functions efficiently, effectively and accurately:
a) Collect data on streetlights within their respective divisions using the relevant forms
b) Identify streets with missing street name signs and record the information on the relevant forms
c) Identify vulnerable persons within communities in need of general social assistance
d) Identify vulnerable persons within communities in need of emergency assistance relating to an impending or passing natural or man-made hazard.