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  • 3 months ago
Youth unemployment and underemployment remain major concerns in Trinidad and Tobago, with stakeholders telling a Joint Select Committee of Parliament that the issue goes far beyond the availability of jobs.

The committee heard that skills gaps, workforce readiness and the transition from school to work continue to present significant challenges for young people entering the labour market.
Transcript
00:24Youth unemployment and underemployment are not solely labor market
00:29issues, but also national development issues impacting our overall productivity, innovation,
00:36social stability and economic resilience.
00:49It is our belief that youth unemployment in Trinidad and Tobago is not simply a shortage of jobs.
00:55Rather, it increasingly reflects challenges related to workforce preparedness, skills mismatches,
01:03employability development and the effectiveness of school to work transition systems.
01:17We have realized that there is a need for training and development as it relates to the soft skills,
01:24namely communication skills, teamwork, leadership, punctuality, that kind of thing.
01:41Apart from delivering sessions to young persons in the various areas, communication, conflict resolution,
01:52how they dress and prepare for work and several other areas.
01:57We also expose participants to real-life interview settings where some of the very private sector agencies
02:06and public sector professionals assist them in doing simulation exercises and then provide them with relevant feedback.
02:16Thank you very much.
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