Local businesses will play a key role lining young people up for long-term careers under the Island’s Jobs Corps vocational programme.Community Development Minister Michael Weeks said Government wants to tap into the knowledge and expertise of the business community and encourage firms to provide training followed by job opportunities.It’s hoped this will help turn around the fortunes of thousands of young black men who drop out of school early and later find themselves underqualified for good jobs.People currently working in the financial sector and administrative positions, areas where black Bermudian males are particularly poorly represented, will be recruited to help run Jobs Corps, the Minister told the House of Assembly.Speaking in the debate on the Mincy Report on Monday, Mr Weeks said Jobs Corps “places a major focus on the involvement of the private sector”.He said: “The business community’s primary role is a consultative one which is fulfilled by serving on the central advisory boards within the respective Ministry.“These industry partners also assist in the development of career specific curricula and advice on the alignment to industry recognised certifications.“The other important function of industry partners, indirect funding, is delivered predominantly through work-based learning opportunities, by way of unpaid internships, provision and/or professional development of personnel and mentorships primarily.”Mr Weeks said Jobs Corps will include a ‘business core group’ comprising representatives from “all of the business entities represented in Bermuda”.He said they would help identify which career technical training areas can be offered, and act in advisory roles after the programme has started to ensure students are benefiting in terms of jobs.Another component of the programme will be a ‘career placement core group’, which will see potential future employers linking up with Bermuda College and employment agencies.Mr Weeks said that group would draw up regulations related to the placement of students progressing through Jobs Corps.Another group will focus on enrolment: introducing the concept to the public and designing outreach programmes.Mr Weeks said that team would work with parents to show how they can support the young people in the scheme, and with the media to spread the word as the programme evolves.An ‘academic core group’ will consist of teachers, school advisers and school counsellors and will design an academic programme to meet the needs of young men and women.Finally, a ‘technical training core group’ will be made up of Bermuda College, trade unions and business groups which have already developed programmes for job shadowing, mentoring and scholarships.Mr Weeks also told the House how new middle schools focusing on career development could be introduced in an attempt to keep young black males in the education system.The Minister said the Career Academies initiative, which pairs a college-preparatory curriculum with a career-related focus, could be adopted by Government as it tries to tackle the findings of the Mincy Report.Career Academies, which is already used in many communities across the United States, could provide crucial technical education opportunities, he told MPs.Mr Weeks told the House: “The joint select committee has called for technical education to be introduced in all middle schools.“It is intended to do just that with Career Academies model. Although, traditionally, Career Academies was focused on the high school environment, over the last few years there has been an evolution of the programme to address this need and it is anticipated, when that programme is activated, that the middle school issue will be addressed.“As to Career Academies, which the Government is also actively exploring with respect to how it can be replicated here, it is still literally early days in our consideration of this model.“I am sure that Dame Jennifer Smith, Minister of Education, will have more to say on this matter. I will only attempt to convey what the Government’s objectives are in the Government’s broader consideration of this programme.“Like Jobs Corps, this recommendation was designed to address a critical need with respect to our school age youth, particularly those in high school.”He said of Career Academies: “This approach has proven through rigorous evaluation and assessment to result in an increased, retention rate of students, higher graduation and post-secondary education enrolment rates, as well as a sustained increase in earnings for the target group in question, young men.“Obviously we wish to see better outcomes for our young men and women. We believe that the Career Academies model can assist us in achieving a higher retention rate within our schools of our young men: a critical issue as the aforementioned report quantifies.”On Tuesday, Mr Weeks released a statement accusing One Bermuda Alliance House Leader Shawn Crockwell of irresponsibly misleading people during the House debate by saying Government has not implemented any of the Mincy recommendations.Mr Weeks argued Dr Mincy had recommended both Jobs Corps and the Career Academies programme which Government has also pledged to undertake.He stated: “Both of these programmes, as illustrated in my brief to the House, are at heart education programmes, meant to address the deficit identified.“They are also programmes geared to our 21st Century needs and can assist us in better aligning the education of our young people with the real world economy.“Moreover, as to his claim that nothing has been done by this Government in implementing the recommendations emanating out of the Mincy report, again he is misleading the Bermudian people.“My Ministerial Brief clearly indicated that the implementation process of Job Corps has begun. First steps in this regard are ongoing now.“And the fix ideally designed to be placed or embedded in the public school system, Career Academies, has been designated for implementation and preliminary steps have commenced.“The Government is disappointed that unlike most of his colleagues MP Crockwell was not prepared to approach this issue from a non-partisan perspective and appeared to be more determined to score political points in this regard.”