Tyrone Wilson and YUTE: Empowerment Behind the Lens

I knew it wouldn’t be long before Mr. Tyrone Wilson came up with something creative and new. In fact, I fully expected it. The YUTE Lens Support Program at the University of Technology (UTech) is in many ways an extension of what the President and CEO of eMedia Interactive Limited has been doing for some time – empowering and motivating young people. Now, with the support of the Australian Government and the private sector, it has taken shape. The launch took place last Friday.

At Friday’s launch of the YUTE Lens Support Program: L-R – Mrs Marjory Kennedy, Honorary Consul of Australia to Jamaica, Mrs Sandra Glasgow, Deputy Chair of eMedia Interactive Ltd and Director YUTE Ltd, Mr Joseph Matalon, Chairman, YUTE Ltd, Ms Alicia Glasgow, Executive Director, YUTE Ltd, and Mr. Tyrone Wilson, President and CEO of eMedia Interactive Ltd, share lens time with some participants on the YUTE Lens Support Program. The project is a partnership between YUTE Ltd and eMedia Ltd and is funded in part through the Australian High Commission’s Direct Aid programme. (Photo: StuartImages)

In Jamaican patois, youth is pronounced “yute.” Youth Upliftment Through Employment (YUTE) is a three-year-old private-public sector skills training initiative chaired by former head of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica Joseph M. Matalon. As we’re probably all aware (and Mr. Matalon reminded us), Jamaicans under thirty years old constitute three-quarters of the perpetrators of violence and crime in Jamaica; and our citizens aged 25 – 29 years old are at greatest risk of becoming homicide victims. High levels of youth unemployment in under-privileged areas such as our inner cities contribute to this tragic state of affairs, of course. The economic costs of violent crime are huge – equivalent to 3.2 per cent of Jamaica’s Gross Domestic Product. So the YUTE programme makes sense, focusing on relevant and useful training for young Jamaicans living in Kingston and St. Catherine’s inner-city communities. The ten-week YUTE Lens Support program will train 40 participants between April and June, and 40 more between July and September, running concurrently with the eMedia iVu tv’s 2014 production season.

Randy McLaren and Chris Hutchinson play rookie cops in the comedy series “Squaddie” – a product of Tyrone Wilson’s iVu tv.

Now, if you read my last article about Tyrone Wilson, you will recall that eMedia Interactive is a new media company, headed and staffed by young people and based at UTech’s Technology and Innovation Centre. iVu tv has already employed disadvantaged youths on both sides of the lens in its humorous series “Squaddy,” (that’s a nickname for a policeman). Now a much larger group of young people will learn the skills associated with video, camerawork and film and television production. I understand that the program will continue over the next few years. This will give a serious boost to Jamaica’s creative industries – and provide a good income-earning source for the trained youth.

Tyrone Wilson, President and CEO of eMedia Interactive and Ms Alicia Glasgow, Executive Director of YUTE Ltd, are all smiles at the launch of the YUTE Lens Support Program on Friday, April 25 at the UTECH’s Technology Innovation Centre. Through this partnership, 40 YUTE participants will be trained in all aspects of film production. YUTE Lens Support is funded in part by the Australian High Commission through its Direct Aid program and is the second initiative to be launched as part of phase II of the YUTE program. (Photo: StuartImages)

(L) Mrs Marjory Kennedy, Honorary Consul of Australia to Jamaica, Mr Joseph Matalon, Chairman of YUTE Ltd and Mr Tyrone Wilson, President and CEO of eMedia Interactive Ltd are impressed with the budding film skills of Terry-Ann Carnegie, participant in the YUTE Lens Support Program. The program is a joint partnership between Youth Upliftment Through Employment (YUTE) Ltd and eMedia Interactive, through part sponsorship of the Australian High Commission’s Direct Aid program. It will facilitate the training of 40 young people in film production. The project was launched on Friday, April 25 at the Technology Innovation Centre, UTech. (Photo: StuartImages)

By the way, as Jamaica’s Honorary Consul for Australia Marjory Kennedy pointed out at the launch, this is not the first time the Australian Government has supported YUTE programs since November 2010. In particular, it has provided funding for YUTE’s Pre-Skills Learn and Earn program with a special focus on literacy. Importantly, that program created 850 job opportunities – long and short-term.

The horizons are narrow for many unemployed young people in neighborhoods, where resources are few and inspiration is lacking. These young Jamaicans never want pity or handouts; they have tremendous energy; they seek the opportunity to lift themselves up. YUTE Lens Support, with the support of Mr. Wilson and his young team, offers that opportunity. I am so looking forward to hearing more about how the program progresses, and to seeing the fruits of their labor in due course.

I wish the trainees all the best of luck.

Mr Tyrone Wilson, President and CEO of eMedia Interactive Ltd, (Centre) and YUTE Ltd participants join hands in support of the YUTE Lens Support Program which was launched on Friday, April 25 at the Technology Innovation Centre, UTECH. Through this program which is sponsored in part by the Australian High Commission’s Direct Aid program, 40 participants will be trained in film production. (Photo: StuartImages)