Final - Evaluation of NYP 2011 - 2016

Evaluation of The National Youth Policy of Barbados 2011—2016
INTRODUCTION
This section reviewed the extent to which
the nine inter-related goals operationalized
through eighty-eight (88) objectives
were achieved. The programme of action
proposed that while the MCSY would lead
the intervention, other Government and
non-governmental stakeholders would address
the specific mandates of their organizations.
These synergies were designed
to enhance the implementation
process, increase resources to boost efficiency
and provide sustainable solutions
to address feelings of hopelessness reported
by young people during the data collection
phase of the NYP.
GOAL (A): To Reduce UNEMPLOYMENT
by ensuring that young people are
“gainfully occupied” after leaving
school.
Introduction
Youth unemployment has historically
been a major challenge for developing
countries with rapid technological advances
resulting in deskilling of the population
and a decline in traditional employment
opportunities. Barbados, being a
small open economy dependent on tourism
and international financial services
was not spared the impact of rapid industrialization
and the global financial crisis
(circa 2007) resulting in economic decline
and an increase in unemployment, especially
among young people. The data
showed that youth unemployment in
2010 was 25.94% while the national average
was 10.74% and this unemployment
was higher among young females than
their male counter-parts 1 . By 2015, the
data showed that the youth unemployment
rate was 32.1%. (Digest of Statistics
2015 Ministry of Labour, Social Security
and Human Resource Development)
Objectives:
Some eleven (11) objectives to address the
youth unemployment challenges were
identified, with a number of them mirroring
the strong link between the education
system and the work force.
(1) Provide aptitude tests at an earlier
age to point children in the di-
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1 Source: Michelle Daniel, CDB – Youth pg. 3 Entrepreneurship Development In The Caribbean
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