Govt funding boost to drive major youth council expansion

The Barbados Youth Development Council (BYDC) is poised for a major expansion in 2026 after the government agreed to more than double its annual subvention, marking what its president hailed as a special turning point for youth development in Barbados.

President Caleb Brathwaite said the council remains committed to its motto of “building youth and developing country”. He outlined plans to launch a digital discount card for young people aged 18 to 35 in partnership with corporate Barbados, establish an apprenticeship programme with well-established businesses, strengthen support for youth groups, expand paid internship opportunities, and provide structured platforms for young people to share their ideas and concerns for Barbados, “among many other initiatives”.

For decades, financial constraints have hindered the organisation’s ability to fully execute its mandate, but Brathwaite was confident that this was set to change. “For many years, one of the council’s greatest challenges has been financial — quite simply, the resources needed to execute projects and sustain the organisation,” Brathwaite said. He noted that, despite being nearly as old as the country’s Independence, the council has endured longstanding financial limitations under successive governments.

But he said 2026 will bring a “special turning point”, as the minister of youth has agreed to more than double the council’s annual subvention for the 2026/27 financial year and beyond.

“This investment will allow us to create greater impact: young people looking out for young people, young people solving young people’s challenges, and young people actively contributing to youth development,” Brathwaite said.

Despite financial and technical challenges in 2025, the BYDC maintained its youth development mandate. Through Project Move Up, the council’s corporate internship programme, it provided placements for more than a dozen young people, certified over 50 as youth leaders with support from the Commonwealth, assisted youth groups and individuals facing difficulties, contributed to government policy in the best interests of young people, and engaged in regional and international youth development.

“The work of the BYDC throughout 2025 demonstrates that, even amid constraints, young people can lead, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to national development,” Brathwaite added.

(SZB)