Youths get summer jobs

A total of 6,000 youngsters from across Jamaica will be engaged in gainful employment over a six-week period under the Government's Youth Summer Employment Programme (YSEP).

Participants, who will begin work on August 8, will be placed in public sector organisations and will earn $10,000 weekly. Team leaders earning $11,000 per week.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, speaking at the Manning's School in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, last Friday, assured the youngsters that "the Government will continue to invest in programmes that will give you a future, that will give you hope."

He urged the YSEP participants to save a portion of their earnings.

"I understand there are many demands on you as young people but I want you to remember that you are not only living for today, you are also living for tomorrow. So you have to put aside some of what you've earned today in order to be able to enjoy tomorrow," Holness said.

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Desmond McKenzie, said that the YSEP participants placed at the Social Development Commission (SDC) and the Poor Relief Department will assume special responsibilities.

"The SDC will be updating its community profile. This profile was last updated 10 years ago and some of you will have the pleasure this year of working with the SDC in collecting the data that will help the Government to determine its programmes," he noted.

"[Also], we are going to be assigning some of you to work in the Poor Relief Department to help to capture data right across Jamaica," he said.