The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development has signed a contract to implement a Skills for Youth Employment (SkYE) Project which will be funded by the UK government.

The SkYE Project specifically targets disadvantaged youth, including those with disabilities, between the ages of 15 and 30. The project is aligned with national, regional and international agendas on continued education and training.  One such agenda is the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which articulates that by 2030, there must be substantial increase in the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

The National Enrichment and Learning Unit (NELU) will receive funding, beginning in September, to train 1150 young people over a three-year period: 350 in year one, 400 in year two and 400 in year three. Certificates will be awarded at Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) level and will be offered in districts throughout the island.

Of the total cohort to be trained, more than 35 percent of trainees will be male, more than 35 percent female, and 12 percent will be young people with disabilities.

The National Enrichment and Learning Unit (NELU) is accepting applications and are currently conducting interviews for the SkYE Project. Forms can be obtained from the NELU office located upstairs People’s Discount Drugstore at the corner of St. Louis and Chisel Streets in Castries. Forms can be obtained from social transformation officers, youth and sports councils, and NELU’s coordinators around the island. For more information, contact NELU at 468-5418 or 451-7717.