St. George's, February 12, 2009 (GIS): The Grenada government wants to implement what it refers to as an aggressive strategy of providing training opportunities to deal with a projected increase in unemployment induced by the current global economic crisis. The government is also considering other measures, but Finance Minister Nazim Burke says the proposed training strategy is aimed at developing the employment capacity of Grenadians, especially the youth. "Even though you cannot find work for everybody," said the Finance Minister, "it must be a direct and conscious coping strategy of the government that we try to provide opportunities for all those persons who do not have a job or who we cannot assist in finding a job.'' Mr. Burke, who is also Minister of Planning, added: "If you can provide these people with training opportunities and pay for it, they will be prepared to take that training and, at the same time, we are raising the quality of our human stock". In advice to Grenadian workers, Minister Burke is urging them to consider benefit opportunities that may be available to them from their retirement savings with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). There are funds in excess of EC$600 million in the retirement savings of the NIS, the Finance Minister disclosed. In this period of rising unemployment, said Mr. Burke, it is necessary for workers to consider all options. "The question that we must ask,'' according to Mr. Burke, "is should NIS do anything for those workers who today cannot survive or cope with the present situation? Do we simply say, 'no, let's hold that money until we reach pension age?' Or do we say that today, perhaps we need to commit $20 million to assist those who cannot cope without it?'' As one of the options, Mr. Burke floated the idea of a short term unemployment benefit program that would assist Grenadians for between six and eight months. From: GIS INSIDE GRENADA NEWS