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Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 18, 2022 (SKNIS): Youth development and intervention strategies by government agencies in St. Kitts and Nevis are expected to improve following a series of training sessions being facilitated by experts from the National Youth Agency (NYA) Youth Work Academy in the United Kingdom.

The virtual training takes place every Wednesday in the month of February. It is organized by the respective youth departments in St. Kitts and in Nevis for staff members. The initiative is supported by the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Pierre Liburd, Director of the Federal Department of Youth Empowerment, said that the training is proceeding well and has given officers new insight into youth development work.

“The idea is to better position our teams to effectively pursue youth work and to add to our efforts to professionalize youth work and to harmonize the activities, the foundation, the practices and the programming ultimately,” he stated. “Also, the way we impact and engage young people and stakeholders and build out their capacities thereby affecting how we execute youth work on a whole across St. Kitts and Nevis will be improved.”

Topics being covered during the training include Group Work, Safety in a Group, Values and Beliefs, and Celebrations and Endings. The topics stress the importance of creating youth-friendly environments, where learning, networking, safety, trust and fun are promoted. Rewarding accomplishments by youth is also emphasized.

Kerdis Clarke, Director of Youth in the Nevis Island Administration, described the training as timely and noted that the youth are the ultimate beneficiaries.

“They can expect a more engaging team that would be better able to target the needs of our young people, one that can better meet their social, psychological, and technical needs,” she stated. “They can expect more programmes and activities that will be better able to target the needs of our young people and groups.”

Director Clarke added that she also looks forward to deepening collaborations between the youth departments in Nevis and in St. Kitts so that shared goals to empower the nation’s youth are realized.