Department of community, Youth & Sports Gives Young People A Second Chance

The Department of Community, Youth and Sports is taking steps to increase the number of youths on island with the minimum academic requirements.

This is being done through the implementation of Second Opportunity Education Program, which aims to ensure young people have the necessary qualifications for employment in the Government Public Service and desired by many private sector employers.

Director of the Department of Community, Youth and Sports Lyston Skerritt says the target group is youths currently engaged on the Apprenticeship programme and individuals who did not pass the exams in its most recent sitting May/June 2019.

The Programme is firstly focusing on O’levels Maths and English.

The recent results of the Caribbean Examination Council O ’Levels 2019 for Montserrat indicate a continued deficiency in academic attainment.

This year only 26% of the cohort obtained 5+ CSEC passes including Math and English.

This performance is down from the 43% obtained in 2018.

The program seeks to address those who have already graduated from the school system while other efforts will be made to have intervention within the school .