Members of the batch of trainees who graduated from the Citizens Security and Justice Programme in partnership with the National Youth Service, during the graduation function at Water Falls, on Old Hope Road in St. Andrew on Friday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

National Security Minister, Dr. Peter Phillips has called for increased contributions from several sectors to transform depressed urban communities.

Dr. Phillips wants the business community, the public sector and non-governmental organisations to do more to improve the lives of people in garrisons.

He was speaking on Friday at the graduation of more than 100 students from the Micro Entrepre-neurial Corps/Citizen Security Justice Programme.

According to him, the business community must accept the challenge to start investing in depressed urban communities so that jobs can be made available to young people. And he says business operators should not discriminate against job seekers because of where they live.

Meanwhile, Dr. Phillips says the public sector must effectively deliver social services, while non-governmental organisations should do more to revive cultural life in depressed urban communities.

Abandoned, failed

The National Security Minister says many residents in these communities especially young people feel that they have been abandoned and failed by the Jamaican society.

Under the Citizen Security Justice Programme and the National Youth Service Micro Entrepreneurial Corps, more than US$18.5 million has been spent over the last six years.

The most recent batch of participants successfully completed six weeks of training in academic, vocational and life management skills in Chestervale, St. Andrew, with a view to re-socialising them in their Kingston and St. Andrew communities.