PM: 2025/2026 budget will be youth-based

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar takes a selfie with interns at the end of bmobile's Future Leaders Engagement Function at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's, Port of Spain, on August 14. - Faith Ayoung

PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the 2025/2026 national budget will be youth-based.

Although the government has not yet announced a date for its budget presentation, Persad-Bissessar, speaking at the bmobile Future Leaders launch at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s on August 14, gave some insight into what the public could expect in its first budget.

She said opening doors for young people had always been a prominent theme throughout her political career and part of her government’s modus operandi.

She suggested she had no intention of changing course now.

“As we prepare the national budget, youth development will stay central in that budget!”

Although, the event adopted an almost fete-like atmosphere with performances by Akhenaton “Yung Bredda” Lewis and Iwer George, Persad-Bissessar soberly warned her ministers to ensure their budget proposals stayed true to the theme of providing opportunities for young people.

“Take notice Minister of Planning, Minister of Finance, and all ministers. Youth development must be at the centre of whatever we do in the upcoming budget!

“We must invest in technical and vocational education for practical development, educational training... and future-ready skills.”

Persad-Bissessar said the initiatives put forward by ministers should promote ethical, inclusive, digital literacy for responsible innovators.

“It must create pathways to decent work and entrepreneurship alignment training with industry demand and expand financing for youth led enterprises.”

She also hinted at the impending return of the laptop programme for secondary school students.

The programme was instituted during Persad-Bissessar’s 2010-2015 term as prime minister but was cancelled by the PNM government.

“AI is our future. Let us embrace and embed innovation across government, across education and of course the economy.

“My government will reinstate the school's laptop programme. Every form-one student will now have a device which gives every student an equal tool for an equal chance.”

Noting more than 300,000 young people benefited from training programmes and scholarships during her first stint as Prime Minister in 2010-2015, Persad Bissessar said that figure exemplified more than just a statistic.

“These are not just mere figures. They are about lives redirected, about families strengthened and communities revitalised.”

The bmobile Future Leaders programme will see 600 young people embark on a three-week programme at the local telecommunications giant to enhance their technological, sales, customer service and quality assurance skills, among others.

Persad-Bissessar said the programme is further proof of the government’s drive towards ensuring young people receive future-proof job training.

She said everyone who applied, whether they were successful or not, will be allowed to participate in a two-day AI intensive training course.

“This year, 2025 we will go further and deepen the record with a sharper focus on artificial intelligence (AI), digital literacy and industry-aligned work experience.”

“Our aim is not only to help young people find work, our aim is also to equip young people to create the jobs of the future. And that is why this programme matters so much.”

Meanwhile, an intern who spoke at the event described the programme as “incredibly educational”

“We have been learning a lot about the technological field through various sessions conducted by many intelligent and potent individuals in their respective fields of study,” said Couva student Zeda Maharaj.

She added she was grateful to have been accepted as an intern.

“I am very grateful for this experience that I will gain from this internship and for the real life and working experiences that will enhance my personal and professional development.

“This internship will also help me to make connections and build relationships with my fellow future leaders which I believe are valuable skills.”

Another intern, Makaya Bostic, praised Bmobile as he described the programme as “a blessing.

“When you hear the figures, to be one of 600 interns (out of 17,000 applicants) right here in this room, does that sound like nothing short of a blessing to you? Because it very much sounds like a blessing to me.”

He added over the past three days he had learned numerous skills and useful information on several topics including cyber security, emotional intelligence and sales fundamentals.

“I truly can say that with every note that I have taken and with every stroke of my pen, I have come to become, a better person who can lead this country.”