On Friday March 31, 2023 Youth Development and National Service Minister, the Honourable Foster Cummings, visited Chief Secretary, the Honourable Farley Augustine, at the Shaw Park Multicultural Complex to further the implementation of youth programmes in Tobago. During the meeting Minister Cummings and Chief Secretary Augustine discussed a number of high-priority youth initiatives and possible partnerships between the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service (MYDNS) and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).
The areas explored included the re-establishment of a Youth Development and Apprenticeship Center (YDAC) in Tobago, the establishment of a MiLAT programme in Tobago as well as consideration for replicating the Youth Agricultural Homestead Programme (YAHP) and Youth Agricultural Shade House Project (YASHP) in Tobago.
On the topic of Shade House Farming, Minister Cummings informed Chief Secretary Augustine that the MYDNS will be working closely with the THA to promote Shade House agriculture in Tobago.
Accompanying the Minister were Technical Advisor to the Honourable Minister – Mr Anthony Garcia; the Director of Youth Affairs – Mr Sean Ramrattan, and Programme Coordinator of the Youth Agricultural Shade House Project – Ms Rackeal Bissoon. Officials from the T.H.A. included Chief Administrator – Ms Ethlyn John; Secretary for Community Development, Youth Development and Sport – Assemblyman Terance Baynes; Secretary for Education, Research and Technology – Assemblyman Zorisha Hackett to discuss collaboration and cooperation on youth development work in the twin island state.
In the upcoming weeks, the THA and the MYDNS will seek to establish a technical working team for knowledge exchange and collaboration on the discussed youth development initiatives.
The Ministry of Youth Development and National Service remains committed to advancing the lives of our young people by providing support to such programmes and services that cater to their personal and professional development.
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