With the cry of unemployment echoing across Jamaica, one St Catherine community is set to empower a number of youths through training.

The Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education Fund has granted $4 million for the Riversdale market to be converted into a training centre, member of parliament for the North East St Catherine constituency, Gregory Mair, told The Gleaner.

Among the skills to be taught are plumbing and woodcraft.

"We are now in contact with HEART (the national training agency) to facilitate us with the training of the persons when the programme starts up,'' said Mair.

Residents in the community have welcomed the training centre as a remedy for the rampant joblessness among the youth population.

"The centre is really good as for a long time unemployment of the youths has been the problem, and after they are trained, help would come to the community,'' remarked Millicent Guscot.

"Market? Which one of the market was doing anything for the area? People travel to Linstead and even Spanish Town to buy what they want, so the training centre would be better as we all need training,'' said Gary Porter, as he participated in a domino game.

Mair, who has a dual-citizenship case pending in the courts, told The Gleaner that the programme was likely to commence after that dispute is resolved.

The ruling Jamaica Labour Party came under pressure last week after North East St Catherine was named among three constituencies hit by dual-citizenship disputes which would host national Labour Day projects. The Government has denied claims that the selections were strategically made to shore up support in constituencies which are protecting its razor-thin majority in Parliament.

rasbert.turner@gleanerjm.com