A total of 321 secondary and tertiary level students from inner-city communities will be employed this summer through the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the National Youth Service's Summer Employment Programme.

Social development officer at JSIF, Mareeca Brown, in a release from the Jamaica Information Service stated that the programme, which is the first between JSIF and the NYS, targets young people ages 18 to 25, who are living in communities in several parishes including Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Catherine and Clarendon that are under the Inner City Basic Services Project.

These communities include Jones Town, Craig Town in Kingston and St. Andrew; Central Village and Knollis in St Catherine; Flankers in St. James and Bucknor in Clarendon.

The participants will be placed in government and private sector organisations over a four-week period where they will acquire the necessary skills and knowledge needed to survive in the working world.

"It will give them a grasp of the working world, while at the same time putting a little money into their pocket and helping them to understand the need for responsibility and money management and give them a sense of independence," Brown pointed out.

The orientation process to choose the students have already been held. The initiative is expected to cost the Government approximately $6.5 million.