YOUTH EMPLOYMENT: CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNTIES AND STRATEGIES

The Barbados Youth Development Council will be hosting a one day seminar entitled Youth Employment : Challenges, Opportunities and Strategies for the way forward in collaboration with the regional office of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. The impetus for this seminar arises from the special youth report released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in August 2010 entitled Global Employment Trends for Youth: A Special… Issue on the Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on Youth.

The seminar is scheduled for Saturday January 08, 2011 from 10:30 a.m until 4:00 p.m in the Lecture Theatre on the first floor of Government’s Warrens Office Complex, Warrens St.Michael.

This seminar will take the form of a panel discussion and featured presentations by experts in the field. It will be a wonderful learning experience as it gives youth the chance to engage in robust discussion on critical employment issues, expose them to funding opportunities and advice on entrepreneurial ventures, offer some measure of career guidance and present them with strategies to address challenges which they will face in these areas.

If you are interested in attending please confirm your attendance on the event created on BYDC’s facebook page. This is absolutely necessary in order to generate a list of attendees in compliance with security regulations at the office complex as well as for catering purposes.

Below is an outline of the programme schedule. For further information you may also email bydcexecutive@gmail.com

Programme Outline

1) Welcome

2) Invocation

3) Brief Overview of the Seminar – BYDC President

4) Remarks: Henry Charles ( Regional Director- Commonwealth Youth Programme, Caribbean)

5) Address: The Hon. Dr. Esther Byer-Suckoo (Minister of Labour)

6) Panel Discussion

(Panelists)
Dr.Tennyson Joseph (UWI Political Scientist) – Youth and Economic Enfranchisement, the Revolution is not yet completed

Mr. Derek Alleyne (Director UDC, Chairman National Youth Policy Committee) Youth Employment : Governance and Public Policy Implications

Mr. Julian Hunte ( Barbados Worker’s Union) – Youth in the Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities in Securing/Protecting their rights

Mr.Corey Sandiford (Research Consultant CADRES) – Youth Employment: Societal trends, Attitudes and Implications for neglecting the issues

Ms. Melissa Young (Young Entrepreneur) – From unemployed Youth to successful Entrepreneur

7) Lunch

8) Breakout Session and group discussion

9) Plenary- sharing of findings from breakout session

10) Presentation on Entrepreneurial Opportunities – Ms Audrey Reid ( Academy for Education Development )

11) Wrap Up

12) Vote of thanks .