The Honourable Foster Cummings, Minister of Youth Development and National Service officially launched the Youth Aquaculture Project on Wednesday 28th June 2023 at the Head Office of the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service, St Clair, Port-of-Spain.
Interested applicants can access the online application form via the Ministry’s website at www.mydns.gov.tt. The Youth Aquaculture Project is a youth-focused, one-year, full-time training programme for nationals aged 16-35 years to learn the necessary skills to become successful agri-entrpereneurs in the field of aquaculture (breeding, raising and harvesting fish, shellfish and aquatic plants).
At the Launch, Minister Cummings shared “Aquaculture is the fastest growing area of animal food production globally, and it has tremendous potential for us here, as members of the Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean area.” The Minister stated that the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is committed to doing all that it can for the development of young people in the country.
The Youth Aquaculture Project will provide targeted support to the Agriculture Sector, specifically fisheries, to build capacity through education and technical training. The programme, in collaboration with the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, will administer the core principles of aquaculture production systems and provide the knowledge and skills required. Upon successful completion of the programme, youth participants will receive a Certificate in Tropical Aquaculture Production and Management.
In attendance at the Launch were Senator the Honourable Avinash Singh – Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Mr. Farook Hosein – Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service (MYDNS), Mr. Sean Ramrattan – Director Youth Affairs Division – MYDNS, Mrs. Gachelle Gilkes-Edwards, Programme Coordinator, Project Implementation Unit – MYDNS, Dr. Mark Wuddivira – Professor of Agri-Environmental Soil Physics, University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr. Wendy-Ann Issac – Deputy Dean and Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Food and Agriculture (UWI), and Mr. Rakesh Bhukal – Aquaculture Lecturer, UWI.
Applications for this programme will remain open until Wednesday 19th July, 2023. For more information about requirements and the application process, interested persons may call 612-9367 Ext. 5010.
The Ministry of Youth Development and National Service remains committed to bringing all stakeholders together to promote youth development and encourage civic-minded citizens to contribute to national service across Trinidad and Tobago.
-END-