Hanover youth benefit from empowerment expo

More than 300 youths aged 15-24 from several high schools, training institutions and youth clubs in Hanover benefited from a Youth Empowerment Expo held last Friday at the Jockey International factory space in Lucea, Hanover.

The expo, which was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Culture in collaboration with the Jamaica Business Development Corporation, Sandals Resorts and several other companies, served to aid in the development of young people, particularly those considered to be at risk, through an introduction to social entrepreneurship, capacity building, skills training and other related areas.

Those in attendance received free HIV counselling and testing and career counselling and were able to participate in workshops on mobile app development, animation, web and graphic design, as well as empowerment sessions with a focus on careers in sports, creative arts, hospitality, and wealth-creation opportunities and employability skills.

There were also mock interviews, taxpayer registration number registration, and a songwriting seminar for singers, DJs and songwriters.

Representatives from Sandals Resorts in Negril were also on hand to provide information and practical demonstrations on various fields in the tourism industry and also shared details on the resorts' Hospitality Training Programme, which allows youth to gain training, experience and certification in various areas in the hospitality field throughout a six-week period.