Government to conduct youth survey for policy development
Published:Wednesday | March 17, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter
THE GOVERNMENT is shortly to undertake a national youth survey as part of a move to design a new national youth policy.
Senator Warren Newby, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, told The Gleaner the aim of the study was to better inform the national policy on youth.
"We have not had sufficient scientific analysis of youths and their environments and it creates gaps in how policy is developed, and we are seeking to remedy this situation," Newby said.
The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) and the National Centre for Youth Development (NCYD) in a collaborative effort will undertake the survey.
The NCYD says the survey, which is to be funded by a US$2-million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank, is the first of its kind in Jamaica.
"The survey will address the key areas of the National Youth Policy (2004), in terms of its strengths and weaknesses, and will provide baseline information for the formulation of a revised policy and will allow for the measurement of its impact," the NCYD says.
Deep analysis
On Monday, Newby told The Gleaner that the survey will help Government to look critically at all aspects of the lives of youths.
"It will enable us to review policy decisions that have been taken and to critically analyse the impact that they have had, as well as to identify new areas that ought to be focused on or areas that ought to be enhanced," Newby said.
At the same time, the NCYD says the overarching objective of the survey is to obtain data relating to employment and entrepreneurship, education and training, health and wellness, as well as youth interaction with state institutions.