The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

Tribune Staff Reporter

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said the second cohort of the National Youth Guard will be trained in the fight for climate resilience and gain other employable skills.

Mr Davis invited young people to apply for the four-month programme during a press conference at the National Training Agency on Gladstone Road on Saturday.

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force, NEMA, the Disaster Reconstruction Authority, LJM Maritime Academy and the Royal Bahamas Police Force have joined to host the programme.

Recruits are trained in CPR, search and rescue, maritime training, plumbing and electrical work, climate disaster preparedness and recovery. Internships with various programme partners are also included.

Three new cohorts will be welcomed to the National Youth Programme in 2024, the first on January 15, 2024.

“The National Youth Guard is a testament to the government’s commitment to engage youth in crucial ways that shape the landscape of this country,” Mr Davis said. “The programme is designed to develop employable skills and capacity in youth while simultaneously harbouring government and institutional readiness in the event of a disaster.”

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe, who also attended the press conference, said unlike the Rangers Programme, the National Youth Guard is not a feeder programme for the Royal Bahamas Defence Force or other law enforcement agencies.

He said members of the guard “are like first responders”.

“They are there right then knowing what to do,” he added.

“What we will be saying to corporate Bahamas is if you tell us you are looking for employees, don’t expect to get any work permits for anything that any of these young people can do.

“We intend to police that system so that we can tell you that we know about these young people, we vetted them, and we recruited them. So, you can’t tell us any foolishness about them not being suitable. We have trained them in areas that you as a business should want.”

The first cohort, trained in Grand Bahama, had 64 graduates in March, and the programme included young Bahamians from ten different islands.