There is need for the business community to get more involved in programmes that are aimed at protecting "at-risk" youths, says Catherine Kumar, chief executive officer of the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce.Kumar was speaking yesterday at a joint news conference that was hosted by the chamber and the University of the West Indies (UWI) at the chamber's headquarters, Columbus Circle, Westmoorings.
The chamber's JumpStart Student Apprenticeship Programme is an example of a programme that needs financial assistance from the business community, Kumar said."We have 100 kids to place and because the programme is not just putting someone to work in your office, the programme requires a mentor who has to be trained because not everyone knows how to be a mentor and for you to continue to monitor this person, do an assessment at the end of it–it's too much trouble, so companies are becoming more reluctant.
"They are also telling us we have our own programme in place. When we look at their programme, it speaks to bringing on kids, giving them what we call summer vacation, paying them something nominal but again, no training, no self-development. I would really like them to recognise that this JumpStart programme has something more than what they are doing and that they would be interested in taking on the kids when we call."
The T&T youth project targets "at-risk" youths and is a UWI-funded research project.Illustrating her point, she said far too often there are children selling various items on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, when they should be in school. She contends that the legislation aimed at protecting youths is "insufficient."