Approximately fifteen hundred young persons on Wednesday attended the orientation and registration for the first phase of the HOPE program in Jamaica.
The HOPE programme is the Government’s flagship training and apprenticeship programme, which targets unattached youth, aged 18 -24, who are not in school or currently employed.
HOPE means Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment.
The orientation was held at the Jamaica College auditorium in Kingston.
National Coordinator of HOPE, Lieutenant Colonel Martin Rickman, says he is encouraged by the overwhelming response.
“We plan to continue this process of registering young persons so this is only the first step. We put out the advertisement aiming to get the first five hundred because we have spaces for five hundred to be placed,” explained Lieutenant Rickman.
He added that the programme provide opportunities for persons to be placed in positions where they can become good, responsible and productive members of society.
“The aim is for between 10,000 to 15,000 young persons for this financial year, to get involved and prepared through this programme for the workforce,” he added.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness introduced the programme during his contribution to the Budget Debate on March 21.
