Photo by Fernando Jorge on Unsplash

COL has partnered with the Bahamas Ministry of Education, the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI), Mount Pleasant Green Baptist Church (the Bahamas) and Lakehead University (Canada) in a new project “Supporting Youth Development: Professionalising Youth Workers in the Bahamas.”

Building on the success of a similar initiative in the Pacific, the project will focus on developing a suite of micro-courses for youth workers and leaders, with a view to their rapid upskilling. The virtual project launch featured a panel with participation of the Honourable Jeffrey Lloyd, Minister of Education.

Minister Lloyd acknowledged the centrality of supporting Bahamian youth and ameliorating social disparities that they face punctuated by high unemployment.

Dr Robert Robertson, President of BTVI, Ms Yasmin Chong, Senior Business Development Officer at the Canadian High Commission in Jamaica, and Dr Gary Pluim, Assistant Professor at Lakehead University were also present at the launch.

The micro-courses will be co-designed by COL and Lakehead University, with input from BTVI and other partners in the Bahamas to create an authentic learning experience. Topic areas will include, but are not limited to, good governance in youth organisations, health and well-being, youth entrepreneurship and youth civic and political participation.

Dr Kirk Perris, COL Adviser: Education, who is the project co-organiser, noted: “To support youth, we must focus on bringing them into the development of these micro-courses. By involving them purposefully at all stages of the project, we can address the issues young people are facing.”