A new regional training programme aimed at enhancing youth development across the Caribbean is now underway, with approximately 180 youth professionals expected to benefit over the next two years.
According to a CARICOM Secretariat press release, the initiative, “Strengthening the Youth Development Landscape: A Capacity Building Programme for Strategic and Sustainable Action,” was launched in June 2026 to help strengthen the capabilities of youth directors, youth officers and youth leaders throughout the Community.
The programme is being delivered online and focuses on providing participants with the practical expertise needed to create, manage and sustain effective youth initiatives. Areas of training include project design, grant proposal development, monitoring and evaluation, leadership development, mental health first aid, and the effective use of social media to engage young people.
The Secretariat said the initiative was developed in response to the evolving challenges facing the youth sector and the growing demand for stronger institutional and professional capacity across CARICOM member states.
Michele Small Bartley, Programme Manager for Youth Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, emphasized the importance of investing in those responsible for delivering youth programmes.
“As youth development issues continue to emerge and become more complex, there is a growing need to equip key youth stakeholders with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools required to design, implement, monitor, and sustain effective programmes and interventions that respond to the needs of our young people.”
Beyond enhancing professional skills, the release said the programme is also intended to support implementation of the revised CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP) and the Youth Development Index, while strengthening institutions responsible for youth development throughout the region.
According to the CARICOM Secretariat, the long-term objective is to establish a well-equipped network of youth practitioners capable of leading innovative, sustainable programmes and advancing a resilient, future-oriented youth development agenda for the Caribbean.
