YOUNG people in St James Southern are set to benefit from training to equip them to take up job opportunities in sectors such as business process outsourcing (BPO) and tourism.

Member of Parliament for the area Homer Davis said that the training courses are being developed in collaboration with the HEART/ NSTA Trust and the Management Institute for National Development (MIND).

He was making his contribution to the State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives on October 12.

Davis, who is also state minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (Western Region), said constituents are gainfully engaged in areas such as agriculture, tourism, and BPO, while others are self-employed, but there is still a challenge with unemployment and unattached youth.

“Contained in my rescue mission for these youngsters is a major training and empowerment programme, sustained focus on education, ramp-up of job creation, training and development of micro and small businesses,” he said.

“In supporting the Government’s pledge to create sustainable jobs at all levels, I will be engaging HEART NSTA/Trust and MIND to develop and institute fit-for-purpose training programmes, which we are hoping will reach a wide cross section of the constituents,” he noted.

Davis said the aim is to get the youngsters trained, certified, and job-ready to take up employment opportunities “which will be opening up in the tourism, the BPO sector, cruise shipping, the overseas work programme, and in the construction industry”.