Creating brighter futures for nearly 800 youth in Jamaica and Mexico

Kington, Jamaica October 8, 2024 – Today, SOS Children’s Villages Canada announced the launch of YouthRISE, a three-year project with a goal to reach some of the most disadvantaged young people in Jamaica and Mexico, enabled by funding from Scotiabank’s ScotiaRISE initiative.

Through Scotiabank’s donation of CAD$950,000 (J$106 million) over three years, the YouthRISE project will provide nearly 800 youth with the essential support, skills and opportunities they need to overcome barriers to education, post-secondary participation, and workforce integration – helping them transition to becoming independent, self-reliant and thriving adults. YouthRISE connects with the focus areas of ScotiaRISE, Scotiabank’s $500 million commitment and social impact strategy to support educational participation, career development, and the removal of hurdles to fully participating in the economy.

Globally, around 269 million young people are neither in education, employment or training, with young women twice as likely as young men to be in this situation. That’s nearly one-quarter of the world’s youth. These figures, as reported by the United Nations, underscore the urgent need to address the issues young people face, which deny them the education and skills they need to succeed in today’s job market and over the long term.

For children and youth without parental care, or who are from vulnerable families, they face even greater challenges. That’s why YouthRISE focuses on the most disadvantaged young people in Jamaica and Mexico, including those who have lost parental care, live in poverty, experience abuse or neglect, or belong to other marginalized populations such as youth with special needs.

“Scotiabank’s partnership with the SOS Children’s Villages through our YouthRISE initiative is evidence of our commitment to sustainable development. With approximately 4,000 Jamaican children in state care, many of whom are without parental support, it is important that they feel loved and protected. Protection for the most vulnerable among us means equipping them with the required skills and resources to be resilient. These include access to learning tools, personal development and academic training programmes which will prepare them to successfully integrate in an ever-changing world”, said Audrey Tugwell Henry, President and CEO Scotia Group Jamaica.

"This project marks a transformative moment for some of Jamaica's most vulnerable youth, offering them a bridge to a brighter future through education, employment, and entrepreneurship,” remarked SOS Children’s Villages Jamaica Board Chair, Mrs. Sharon Lake. “This collaboration exemplifies the power of united efforts between the private sector and non-profit organizations in addressing the critical challenges faced by our young people. On behalf of SOS Children's Villages Jamaica, I extend our profound gratitude to Scotiabank for their visionary support, which will undoubtedly change lives and contribute to the long-term prosperity of our nation."

Designed to address the specific local needs in some of Jamaica and Mexico’s most impoverished communities, the YouthRISE project has three focus areas:

• Remove barriers to career entry, employment and entrepreneurship, and career advancement for disadvantaged youth.
• Improve education and increase digital skills for emerging career opportunities.
• Advance community-based social awareness and action towards addressing discriminatory practices and climate change.

Over the next three years, YouthRISE will offer nearly 800 young people access to essential learning tools, digital technology and employability resources, including individualized career coaching and mentorship, skills-building and entrepreneurship training, unique networking tools, and internship opportunities. Scotiabank employees will also be volunteering to share their expertise with the youth participants and support them in their career entry and advancement journeys by providing employability training and mentorships.

25-year-old Moesha from Barrett Town, Jamaica further added, “Today, I stand with confidence as a social work graduate and a practicing social worker – a dream realized. Many others have also achieved their goals, thanks to SOS Children’s Villages,” proving that, when given the chance, young people will create brighter futures for themselves and their communities.

The YouthRISE project is facilitated in large part by YouthCan!, a global program for youth employability and entrepreneurship launched in 2017 by SOS Children’s Villages and global partners from the private sector to promote decent work for young people without parental care or at risk of losing it. In 2023, 17,800 young people across 50 countries received holistic support through YouthCan! To learn more about YouthCan! and to support SOS Children’s Villages Canada’s work, visit soschildrensvillages.ca.