Participants of the Get Hired Uniformed Services Workshop.

Wednesday, February 19th, 2025, marked a proud first for the Employability Unit within the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment.

The Unit hosted its first Get Hired session at the Hilton Hotel which featured all of the uniformed services here in Barbados. Present were the Barbados Police Service, the Barbados Defense Force, the Barbados Fire Service and the Barbados Prison Service.

Interested young persons were able to attend the workshop and gain a deeper knowledge about what each of the services has to offer.

The Barbados Police Service was represented by several units including the Cyber Crime Unit, the Police Service Band, Forensics and the Recruitment Unit. The Police Service is seeking to recruit over 250 young people to fill the current deficit within the Service.

Speaking on the aging workforce, Director of Youth Affairs, Mr. Cleviston Hunte said: "... a number of the persons who are present practitioners in [some] areas are aging and we need to have a new pool for these very critical areas... and this is where we come in because what we seek to do in the Ministry is to ensure that we create a ready pool of labor for those areas, so that we have continuity and that there is no floundering in any area of the economy of the country."

Following the presentations, participants were able to visit each group and inquire further about the jobs available. They viewed various equipment, tried on gear and uniforms and completed application forms.

She noted that this was the second iteration of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment's collaboration with Ann Hill School but it would certainly not be the last.

The Get Hired Programme seeks to connect young persons directly with employers who are ready to hire. Interested persons should contact [email protected] by email or call 535-3835.