Regional youth unemployment warning

Secretary-General of International Organisation of Employers (IOE), Brent Wilton, has urged regional employer organisations to play their part in tackling youth unemployment levels.

He was at the time addressing the recently held 4th Caribbean Academy for the Management of Employers’ Organisation (CAMEO), which brought together Employers’ Federations from across the Caribbean, under the theme “Analysing and Shaping the Business Environment to Influence Policy Development”.

According to Mr. Wilton, youth unemployment rates are disastrous.

“They are catastrophic in some societies with a consequence that will not be seen for many years to come, but when we do experience it, it will not be good for us or our communities,” he explained.

Wilton went on to stress to those Employers’ Federations present that they have a responsibility as business representatives to do all they can to address those challenges now, and go to governments with the answers that are required.

The Secretary General also warned that if nothing is done, an underclass will develop in society – with serious social consequences.

The meeting provided a forum for senior officials of employers’ organisations to identify priorities of national and regional Caribbean Employers’ Organisations; build on their management knowledge and assess their effectiveness in influencing others in support of business positions; gain a better understanding of the wider international and regional environment (economic, social and political) in which they operate; and discuss lessons learned from national initiatives that can be applied at a
regional level.