Antigua - Barbuda

In Antigua and Barbuda, youth work is administered by four Ministries in Government. These are the i) Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Community Development ii) Ministry of Labor and Cooperatives with the Youth Skills and Human Resources Development Unit iii) Ministry of Health and Home Affairs with the Adolescent Health Service and the Alliance for Social Well-being and iv) Youth Liaison Officer in the Prime Minister's office.

Young people in Antigua and Barbuda, are encouraged to acquire skills from the Youth Skills Program or the Human Resource Development Unit in the Ministry of Labor and Cooperatives which have programs specifically aimed at youths. The mission of these programs is to provide employment opportunities for young people by training and placing them in remunerative employment at entry level positions.

Placement rates for youths trained in Youth Skills Programs were at 90% and a number of those trained started their own businesses in areas such as carpentry, drafting, secretarial skills, mechanics, masonry, electrical wiring, plumbing and general maintenance. The training programs run for approximately 6 months, and students receive a weekly stipend of $50.00. In 1994, 400 young people applied for the Youth Skills training, and although the budget called for 90 trainees, the project accommodated 130 youths.

The Youth Skills Training Program is in the process of implementing new activities to better serve the community. A self-help training program has been developed for youths. This programs assists youths by creating a network of information that seeks new and innovative ways of creating employment and pooling resources. All participants of the Youth Skills Program engage in a field placement exercise and are eligible to participate in a system of referrals.

Other programs which have been successful in training and assisting youths in Antigua and Barbuda are:

The Hotel Training School prepares people for the hotel industry.

The Junior Achievement Program provides secondary school students with practical business experience through the organization and operation of an after-school or co-curricular business enterprise. These companies are owned by stockholders who expect to receive dividends from business transactions. This program is a Rotary Club initiative in collaboration with the Peace Corps and the Ministry of Education, Youth Sports and Community Development.

The National Development Foundation and the Commonwealth Youth Program Caribbean Center helps youths in funding enterprise projects.

The Human Resource Development Unit provides teenagers who have finished school prematurely with remedial capacities in English, math and life skills. The life skills section involves training in areas such as interacting with others, resolving conflicts, planning social activities and general coping skills. These programs last for 6 months and students receive $134.00 every fortnight.