Haiti Relaunches the Youth Employment Initiation Program

On the occasion of International Youth Day, the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) officially launched, on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, the Youth Employment Initiation Program (PIJE). The ceremony, held at the Karibe Convention Center, brought together over 260 participants, including 249 young beneficiaries, representatives from the private sector, public administration executives, and several government members. The PIJE aims to offer young graduates from universities, vocational schools, and polytechnic institutions the opportunity to undertake three-month paid internships in public institutions and private companies. This professional immersion, which will begin on October 18, aims to facilitate integration into the labor market and, depending on opportunities, pave the way for sustainable employment. Created in 2010, in the context of post-earthquake reconstruction, the program experienced periods of interruption due to political crises and insecurity. Over the years, it has enabled several hundred young people to acquire initial professional experience, with some subsequently being recruited by host organizations. In 2024, the MEF undertook a thorough reorganization of the mechanism, before Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé officially relaunched its implementation this year, via circular 008 of March 28, 2025. The initiative is included in the 2024-2025 revised budget, confirming its integration into government priorities. During the ceremony, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Alfred Fils Métellus, emphasized that the selection of beneficiaries was based on academic and professional performance, not on patronage. « Meritocracy remains the sole criterion for access to PIJE », he insisted, recalling that the program aims to be inclusive, incorporating both gender parity and the participation of young people with reduced mobility. For this first phase, the PIJE will be deployed primarily in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, before being expanded to other departments depending on resources and security conditions. Internships will be supervised by a strategic committee and an operational committee under the MEF, in collaboration with the human resources departments of partner entities. Highlighting the importance of investing in youth to reverse unemployment trends, curb migration, and strengthen the country's stability, presidential advisor Leslie Voltaire recalled that « Haiti’s future does not lie in weapons, but in the skills and talent of this new generation ». The launch took place in a convivial atmosphere during which officials handed over assignment letters to a first group of 22 interns. This relaunch of the PIJE is part of a broader set of economic and social measures aimed at preparing a qualified workforce and building, in the long term, a more inclusive economy. By Gesly Sinvilier