Nearly 13,000 people have applied for the National Job Readiness and Training Program, far exceeding the 3,000 spots set aside for the initiative, Labour and Social Development Minister Dion Foulkes revealed yesterday.
According to Foulkes, 12,800 Bahamians signed up.
That means that 9,800 applicants will be rejected. The registration process started last Monday and ended Friday.
The large turnout of applicants is widely viewed as an indication of the high level of unemployment in the country.
No unemployment numbers have been produced since 2009 when unemployment was more than 14 percent nationally.
One hundred and fifty businesses have registered to participate in the program as employers, according to Foulkes.
The government has set aside $25 million for the program, which has three main components: job readiness, job training and job placement.
The job readiness component is primarily aimed at young unemployed Bahamians 30 years of age and under.
The program is designed to prepare unemployed Bahamians for entry into the labor market after they receive 52 weeks of formal on-the-job training and career coaching through structured seminars, Foulkes explained.
