AFTER a protracted delay, Melissa Carmichael, a woman who has been involved in youth work for the past nine years, has been appointed the country’s Director of Youth.She took up office at the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport on Main Street, Georgetown, last month.
A formal announcement of the appointment has not yet been made, but is expected shortly.
Carmichael holds a degree in Behavioural Science and has been involved in peer-education work for many years. She also worked as a teacher for seven years.
Carmichael’s confirmation followed a series of interviews conducted by a panel put together by the Public Service Commission (PSC), which included the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
A source at the PSC said Carmichael was among three persons who were shortlisted for the post.
Carmichael assumed office mid-July, according to a source from the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport, and she has already begun interaction with the ministry’s staff.
The Georgetown-based Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC), in an official comment to this newspaper, said the body welcomes the confirmation of the appointment of a Youth Director, but expressed concern that no official announcement was made by the ministry.
The GNYC, which is an umbrella organisation comprising 84 youth-oriented groups, said it hopes the Director’s “approach is transparent, inclusive” and that she engages with youth leaders, young people, and youth activists in a manner that is in the interest of youth and national development.
The Council, started in 2013, said it looks forward to engaging the Youth Director. “We look forward to engaging her officially, and will be requesting a meeting soon.”
The GNYC-led two youth-oriented voter campaigns for Guyana’s 2015 general elections, and for the recently held local government elections. GNYC is a member of the Caribbean Regional Youth Council (CRYC), and the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC).
The Director of Youth position had long been one of controversy.
In 2015, following the change of administration, Mr Trevor Williams, a former parliamentarian with the Alliance For Change (AFC), was chosen for the post, but the position was later rescinded by then Chief Justice Ian Chang, after a court action filed by the PYO, the youth arm of the opposition PPP.
The PYO motion was filed by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall. Chang had allowed the motion since the position of Director of Youth was one that had to be advertised by and deliberated on by the constitutionally provided Public Service Commission.
Just a few days after the confusion about Williams’s appointment to the post, the Public Service Commission advertised the position.
Youth make up a significant portion of Guyana’s population of 746,000. The recently released national census indicates some 253,240 persons make up the youth population. Youth is defined as persons between ages 15 and 35.
Meanwhile, a report from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) places Guyana’s youth unemployment at around 40% of the youth population. In their analysis, the CDB’s definition of youth were persons aged 15- 24 years.