Building on the achievements of the first PriceSmart Foundation-supported YUTE Work Project, which concluded in September 2025, The MultiCare Youth Foundation (The MYF) and PriceSmart Foundation have partnered for a second phase aimed at strengthening the personal, professional and economic prospects of vulnerable Jamaican youth.
Running from April 2026 to August 2027, MYF YUTE Work II will support 60 at-risk young people, ages 16 to 29, from underserved communities surrounding PriceSmart locations in Kingston and St. Andrew, particularly Three Miles, as well as Portmore and Spanish Town in St. Catherine.
The project applies The MYF’s multi-layered Youth Upliftment Through Employment (YUTE) model. All participants will receive Passport to Success® Life and Employability Skills Training and structured group mentorship. Fifteen participants assessed as being at the highest risk will also benefit from Transforming Our Perspectives Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, focusing on trauma coping, emotional regulation and positive behaviour modification.
Thirty (30) participants will be supported with accredited, labour market-driven vocational skills training and certification, while 20 will receive two-month internship placements with private-sector partners, including local PriceSmart Clubs. These placements will provide practical workplace experience and the potential for permanent employment based on participants’ performance.
Additional support will include résumé writing, interview preparation, assistance with obtaining essential civil documents, and clothing and stipend support for newly employed participants. Through these integrated interventions, the project seeks to reduce participants’ risk factors, strengthen their resilience and employability, and create sustainable pathways to employment, continued education and positive community participation.
