The Youth Work Conference was the first event hosted by the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service (MYDNS) for Youth Week 2023 on Tuesday 15th August, 2023, at the University of the West Indies, Teaching and Learning Complex, St. Augustine. This initiative, spearheaded by the MYDNS was designed to celebrate International Youth Day as well as commemorate 2023 as the Commonwealth Year of the Youth.
Under the theme “Pathways to Professional Youth Work,” the Youth Work Conference aimed to promote a culture of professionalism in youth work and encourage intergenerational partnership for the sustainable development of Trinidad and Tobago. Mr. Sean Ramrattan, Director of Youth Affairs Division at the MYDNS, welcomed the two hundred (200) youth and youth workers, some representing sports and social clubs and cultural and vocational groups.
Ms. Arielle Brown, Youth Development Associate of the MYDNS moderated the plenary session, giving everyone exposure to the information shared in each of the three breakout sessions. The topics for discussion included Professionalisation of the Youth Work Sector; Youth Development Strategic Agenda and a National Framework; and Digital Youth Work and Artificial Intelligence – Employment Opportunities for Youth.
The Panel consisted of Mr. Sean Ramrattan – Director, Youth Affairs Division, MYDNS; Dr. Cheryl-Ann Sarita Boodram – Social Work Coordinator and Lecturer at UWI and Mr. Zafir Mohammed of Ministry of Digital Transformation. Young people were also part of the discussion with Mr. Zion Benjamin – a member of the National Steering Committee for Communicable Disease, Mr. Collin Aberdeen – a social Worker and Mr. Jaffari Saleem – a participant in the Youth Agricultural Shade House Project.
Members of the audience were very engaged and several salient points were raised. These topics of discussion included youth mainstreaming and collaboration with youth-based organizations for youth work; codes of ethic in youth workers and professional youth associations; AI preparation in youth work and strategic youth consultancy in policy making.
The Ministry of Youth Development and National Service (MYDNS) is hosting Youth Week 2023 as a series of youth-focused activities in observance of International Youth Day (IYD), on August 12. Youth Week 2023 is a three-day extravaganza that aims to empower our young citizens, drive them towards positive action and expose them to opportunities that cater to their current and emerging personal and professional needs.
Youth Week 2023 continues with:
- Youth Entrepreneurship Market & Career Prep on Wednesday 16th August 2023 at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port of Spain from 10:00 a.m.
- Youth on the Stage on Thursday 17th August, 2023- Grand Stand, Queens Park Savannah from 4:00 p.m.
The Ministry of Youth Development and National Service remains committed to bringing all stakeholders together to promote youth development and encourages civic-minded citizens to contribute to national service across Trinidad and Tobago.
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