Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, the Honourable Phillip Watts, led a Ministry delegation to Tobago to meet with Secretary of Youth Empowerment and Sport, Assemblyman Keigon Denoon, to discuss proposed youth development initiatives, including the Reimagined Retiree Adolescent Partnership Programme (RAPP) and the Principles of Groundsmanship programme.
The meeting was held at the Division of Youth Empowerment and Sport’s Head Office on Glen Road, Tobago, and focused on strengthening collaboration between the Ministry and the Division to support the planned implementation of both programmes for young people in Tobago.
Secretary Denoon was joined by Technical Director of Sport, Sean Aberdeen; Director of Youth Empowerment, McKacy-Prince Martin; Facilities Manager, Yolanda Adeyemi; Manager of Regional Recreational Facilities, Derek Dickinson; and Protocol and International Relations Officer, Jenelle Fraser.
Minister Watts was accompanied by Communication Strategist, Avellon Williams; Major David Benjamin; Andre Collins; and National Service Manager, Joel Isaac. Also participating in the engagement were Member of Parliament for Tobago West, Joel Sampson; Member of Parliament for Tobago East, David Thomas; Senator Ashworth Jack; and Chief Executive Officer of E-IDCOT, Abena Richards.
Discussions centred on the proposed rollout of RAPP and the Principles of Groundsmanship (CVQ/TTNVQ Level 1) initiative in Tobago. The engagement provided an opportunity for the Ministry and the Division to identify areas of cooperation, align implementation priorities and explore mechanisms to ensure the programmes meaningfully contribute to youth empowerment, skills development and opportunities within the sport sector.
Following the meeting, the delegation conducted site visits to the Mt. Pleasant Recreation Ground, Canaan/Bon Accord Recreation Ground and Courland Recreation Ground. At each facility, officials reviewed ongoing works and proposed upgrades, while considering opportunities for continued development and enhanced use of the recreational spaces.
The site visits formed part of the wider ministerial engagement and supported ongoing discussions on facilities that may be relevant to the proposed partnership between the Ministry and the Division.
Minister Watts and Secretary Denoon expressed their shared commitment to advancing the partnership and look forward to its formal launch in the coming weeks. The engagement underscored the importance of sustained collaboration between the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Division of Youth Empowerment and Sport in expanding opportunities for young people and strengthening sport development across Tobago.
