Government to Reorganise the People’s Employment Programme

(ZIZ News) – Following constant calls for the People’s Employment Programme [PEP] to be reorganised, Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris announced on Tuesday that plans will be revealed in the 2016 Budget.

“We are going to step up on PEP and make it better, a more ennobling an experience for our citizens and residents,” Dr. Harris said during his monthly press conference.

He said the government will ensure that persons enrolled in PEP are trained; as they should have been in the early stages of the programme.

“PEP really should be about skills enhancement. Ensuring…that people are being trained to do those things because if you provide the skillsets that are in demand then there will be no need for us to be talking about PEP 3, 4 years in the way it is now, as if people are on a PhD programme,” he added.

Prime Minister Harris also gave the assurance that the government does not intend to discontinue the programme.

“We will not, as you put it, dismantle it. We will reorganise it. We want them to get a fair chance, a fair share of the prosperity and for young people, we must say to them that they have to equip themselves and there are a wide range of areas in which we believe would could get people to become involved in,” Dr. Harris continued.