This chapter describes the experiences in providing vocational skills training support as a part of a six-year transitional living project for youth exiting state care in Jamaica. The University of the West Indies Open Campus collaborated with the Child Protection and Family Services Agency to improve independent living outcomes for youth and the systems for doing so. One focus of the partnership was equipping the youth with vocational skills to develop their financial independence. Often, youth in care are unable to sustain the secondary school–college education path, and vocational skill development can create opportunities for income generation. Enrollment in skills training opportunities, completing training, and posttraining employment were replete with challenges. These included difficulty with passing the entrance test of the main vocational education provider; limited availability of program spaces; high dropout rates due to poor deportment, pregnancy, and family, emotional, and financial problems; and stigmatization. Strategies used to overcome these issues included sensitizing youth about skills training options, sensitizing training institutions about the challenges faced by youth in care, remedial coaching for youth failing tests, additional community training interventions for training options, and designing customized or on-site programs to enhance accessibility. Scholarships, entrepreneurship grants, and mentoring were also provided. After five years, at the end of the project, 520 youth had completed skills training programs, and 122 were employed. Recommendations for future programs included providing trauma-informed care and mental health support, life skills coaching for youth in care, and encouraging stakeholders to be more inclusive. © 2023 Taylor and Francis.
Author Keywords
Index Keywords
