He told listeners to his weekly radio programme “Ask the Prime Minister” on Tuesday, Dr. Douglas said the STEP programme is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Development, and the STEP Foundation.
He said STEP provides agricultural and entrepreneurial training to youth in need of a second chance, and the STEP Foundation is comprised private and public sector leaders with expertise in such areas as agriculture, education and training, and business.
“Indeed, under this programme, over 15 shade (green) houses equipped with technology for hydroponic agriculture have already been built,” said Prime Minister Douglas, indicating that listeners may have already purchased lettuce produced by these young people under this programme.
“Since our Minister of Social Development and our Minister of Education, (the Honourable Marcella Liburd and the Honourable Nigel Carty, respectively) have reported to Cabinet that the first crop was recently harvested and was also successfully marketed.
“In addition, to providing technical skills to these young people, we stress crucial matters as attitude, behavior and discipline.  And here, as always, I really must urge all who come in contact with all young people, to impress upon them, whether they are participants of STEP or not, whether they are in primary school or at university and whether their parents are seen as powerful or powerless, the importance, the absolutely essential nature of good behavior, self-respect, self-restraint, discipline,” said Dr. Douglas.
He pointed out just as efforts are being made to instill these in STEP participants, “let us also relentlessly strive to instill it in young and even not-so-young people everywhere.”