00:00With less than a week to go before month-end, it appears that any resumption of the Civilian Conservation Corps
00:06program will be further delayed.
00:08Both instructors and the over 800-plus trainees who were enrolled are uncertain about the future of the program, which
00:16targets at-risk youths.
00:18A month ago, Defense Minister Wayne Sturge told TV6 News that recommendations for the restart of the program,
00:24including those made by a Cabinet-appointed committee, were expected to go before the Cabinet this month.
00:30But according to a former instructor who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity, the situation is being kept
00:36in the dark.
00:38Nothing at all. We are first thing to the media, to the news and so forth, but nothing confirmed by
00:43the Minister or from anybody's senior entity.
00:47Yes, it's concerning because we were told that the Media, once again, that we would have been back out around
00:51March.
00:52It's almost the end of March, and to this day, nothing has been said to us about anything at all.
00:57A 2025 cohort was selected before the program was halted, allegedly by the former administration, according to Minister Sturge.
01:05Sturge said it was done just before the April 28, 2025 general election.
01:11So, what happens to that cohort now?
01:15That is a very good question. I have no idea.
01:17I am sure a couple of them already moved on, but we can't tell them anything if we don't know
01:23what's going on.
01:24Because we're not about to give anybody false hope.
01:27So, until we get some kind of positive affirmation, there's nothing we can tell the potential training to basically wait
01:32until getting to the program.
01:34And given that it is about a year since the program stalled,
01:37and has not been continued under the present United National Congress administration,
01:43TV6 News posed this question to the former employee.
01:46Do you all have any concerns at this point that the program will not resume?
01:55In this political segment, anything can be expected.
01:58But it would be nice to have a confirmed yes or confirmed no, so people waiting to move on.
02:03She says it's more about the future of the young people,
02:07and it's either there is a willingness to help them or not.
02:10CCC came on stream in 1993 to give hope to young people without a strong or no academic foundation,
02:18those living in at-risk communities, and those in vulnerable situations,
02:23a chance at living through learning discipline, life skills, and a trade.
02:28TV6 News has reached out to Minister Sturge.
02:31We are awaiting a response.
02:33Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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