The primary risks to adolescents and youth relate to low human capital development and associated unemployment and underemployment and to the outcomes of risky lifestyles. Risk indicators among this age cohort include having no academic or skills certification or training and unemployment, pregnancy rates, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, and criminal activity.

Youth are at risk of unemployment driven in large part by low levels of human capital development. The challenges faced by many young people are evidenced by the fact that less than 25% of young people registering for the Grenada Youth Upliftment Programme (a training programme) have the requisite entry qualifications.

Most at risk are unattached youth – youth who are out-of-school and out-of-work. Labour force data indicate that 10% of young men and 8% of young women aged 15-29 years old have withdrawn from the labour market for no specified reason. This is in addition to the 9% of men and 12% of women who have withdrawn from the labour market because they could not find work. International evidence indicates that youth who have withdrawn from the labour market because they have given up trying to find work are typically the least qualified and the most likely to engage in risky behaviors, including crime, unprotected sex and drug consumption.

Youth also face health related risks. Adolescents are at risk of teenage childbearing. In 2006, 16% of live births were to teenage mothers (268 teens). Nineteen per cent of these girls were giving birth to their second child and 5% to their third child. One-third of live births are to women age 20-24.28 The incidence of teenage pregnancy also raises concerns because of the evidence that teenage pregnancy is associated with lower levels of educational attainment and income for the mother, and results in the intergenerational transmission of poverty.29 Moreover, approximately half of all new HIV infections occur in youth 15-24 years, and women are more susceptible than men.30 Young men are most at risk of violence and drug abuse; however, statistics are not available.

Youth employability programmes include the Grenada Youth Upliftment Programme (GYUP) and Skills for Inclusive Growth. GYUP was launched in 2009 with the objective of promoting youth employment, through skills and life skills training, second chance education, and job search assistance. The programme is targeted to youth broadly defined as persons between the ages of 16 and 35. To date, 864 youth have registered and 200 have been placed in on-the-job training. On-the-job training can be Government or private sector positions. Trainees receive a stipend of EC$700 per month (with 50% paid by a private sector employer). A planned small business enterprise component will target marginalised youth and displaced workers with a focus on promoting tourism and agricultural enterprises. Government launched the Skills for Inclusive Growth Project in May 2009.40 The project will support the Ministries of Education and Youth to increase youth employability through public/private sector partnerships for demand driven technical and life skills training. The project will also establish an occupational standards framework to improve the value and quality of training and to facilitate harmonisation and portability of certification at least at the regional level. The project is funded by the World Bank at a cost of EC$12.7 million.