Column: Bermuda’s National Youth Policy

[Opinion column written by Senator Arianna Hodgson]

The National Youth Policy [NYP] sets out the Government of Bermuda’s plan to support, empower and engage Bermuda’s young people through 2026 while providing a unified approach to tackle issues facing the youth and providing them with the support to have positive and productive futures. The Policy aims to support young people between the ages of 14 and 24 as this is often understood as a period of transition from childhood dependence to adulthood’s independence.

Young people are vital social, cultural, economic, and political development agents. Knowing as much as we can about the young people in our families, neighborhood, and throughout the island is the first step towards understanding their needs and concerns. Seeking to grasp the issues youth currently face in Bermuda, looking at existing data and the diverse ways they already participate within the local community can build a more meaningful dialogue with our young people.

Understanding the experiences of young people aged 14-24 is particularly important for those in that age bracket who often feel that as a group, their issues and opinions are taken less seriously by older people, government agencies or elected officials. Listening to and working with young people representing their interests strengthens our community and helps deliver many positive outcomes that parents, educators, and the wider community want to see throughout the island.

Participation and engagement by more younger people can and will result in fresh and constructive decisions that work for all those involved.

The purpose of Bermuda’s National Youth Policy is to put in place clear goals and objectives to develop and empower Bermuda’s youth. Eight goals were identified, focusing on safeguarding, education, anti-social behavior, employment, sport, health, civic engagement, and diversity.

As the saying goes, what gets measured, gets improved. Lead and lag indicators are the way to measure progress. Lead indicators are forward-looking and identify the early signs that the Policy is on track to meeting its goals. For example, when the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport, Dr. Ernest Peets, recently announced the National Youth Working Group, a vital goal of The NYP was met, indicating the government is on track. At the same time, lag indicators measure the current results of past efforts. In other words, Lag indicators allow the Working Group and the public to know whether the NYP goals are getting accomplished.

The Working Group is responsible for producing annual progress reports and collecting data setting out young people’s position in Bermuda. The NYP Working Group are committed to strengthening existing partnerships and forming new collaborations with stakeholders across Government and community organizations.

For any policy to be effective and successful, it must be owned by all those concerned and accordingly, publishing takes place following extensive consultation with all relevant stakeholders.

Via The National Youth Policy, we can support young people to participate in society and become part of the solution to their problem – from improving services delivered by the government and social agencies to guiding authorities when making public decisions. Our youth become active agents in developing policies and legislation that paves the way for justice, equity and a secure future for the generation who will have to live with the decisions we make today that will impact them in the years to come.

The National Youth Policy website www.youthpolicy.bm provides information and updates on the progress of The Policy

- Senator Arianna Hodgson – Junior Minister for Labour, Finance and Health

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