The National Youth Policy is encouraging young people to become more entrepreneurial in their approaches to employment.
ICTs, Sports, the Cultural industries and Agriculture have been identified as potential areas of growth where young people can channel their energies.
“The Ministry, as we have promised in our National Youth Policy will continue to lead the fight to ensure the empowerment and improvement of all young people, even in the face of limited resources,” Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth (Ag.), Senator Harcourt ‘Harry’ Husbands assured.
“This policy document is built on the premise that the majority of Barbadian youth are decent hard-working people striving to improve their lives. Our efforts to further the plight of our young men will not stop here, as we continue to respond to the emerging challenges that appear before us”.
The Senator was at the time addressing the Bureau of Gender Affairs, International Men’s Day “Making a Difference for Men & Boys” showcase and symposium, held in collaboration with the Men’s Organisation at Queen’s Park Steel Shed.
Barbados joined with a number of international and Caribbean countries to celebrate ‘International Men’s Day’ with an aim of improving gender relations, focusing on men’s and boys’ health, promoting gender relations and gender equality and highlighting positive role models. The showcase and symposium afforded young men the opportunity to find out more about the achievements of their peers in the areas of culinary, agriculture, agro-technology and barbering.
Senator Husbands congratulated the organisers for identifying and pursuing initiatives that seek to address some of the economic challenges in society as well as try to transform those negative narratives that surround young men.
He also expressed that he was deeply touched by the young men who participated and who have used their talents and their energies to respond to life challenges and have turned their interest into viable financial business ventures.
“I hope that the showcase was not seen only as an opportunity for school leaving aged youth to consider career paths, but an opportunity to present before those students alternative viable business opportunities,” he added. (TL)