Minister Johnson Champions Education and Entrepreneurship as Pathways to Lasting Economic Independence

Minister of State in the Ministry of Social and Urban Transformation, Hon. Kiz Johnson, has urged governments to go beyond creating opportunities and tackle the barriers that prevent vulnerable people from turning those opportunities into lasting economic independence.

Johnson made the remarks while representing Antigua and Barbuda at the XVIII Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean, held in Panama City on October 20 and 21.

Under the theme “Connecting Policies for Resilient Development,” the forum brought together ministers and senior officials to discuss coordinated responses to the region’s social, economic and environmental challenges.

Addressing a discussion on expanding opportunities amid uncertainty, Johnson said governments must ensure that a person’s circumstances at birth do not determine their prospects for success.

“But opportunities alone are not enough. We must equip our people with the capabilities to seize those opportunities and the assets to transform them into lasting economic independence,” she said.

Johnson pointed to Antigua and Barbuda’s Youth Education and Empowerment Programme (YEEP) as an example of why access to education must be accompanied by support that addresses the difficulties people face outside the classroom.

She highlighted the circumstances of young mothers and people whose schooling had been interrupted by poverty, family difficulties or abuse, arguing that returning to education can require more than the offer of a place in class.

According to Johnson, YEEP has provided childcare and counselling support to help participants overcome obstacles, including parenting responsibilities and abusive relationships.

“We are not simply opening the door to opportunity. We are helping people overcome the obstacles that prevent them from walking through it,” she said.

Johnson reported that YEEP recorded an overall pass rate of 96.5 per cent in the 2026 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination examinations. She said the results demonstrated the value of investing in both education and the support systems that allow people to succeed.

The minister also highlighted the establishment of The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus in 2019 and the government’s commitment to free undergraduate tuition for eligible students pursuing their first degree.

She said these measures were helping to remove financial barriers that had historically prevented families from accessing higher education, while expanding postgraduate opportunities would support the development of skills needed for national progress.

However, Johnson stressed that pathways to improved living standards must also extend to people outside traditional academic routes.

She identified entrepreneurship as another critical avenue, linking access to affordable business financing with income generation, ownership and wealth creation.

Johnson cited the Entrepreneurial Development Fund as a means of supporting aspiring and existing business owners who have viable ideas and skills but lack the collateral or financial history required by commercial banks.

“These are not merely economic interventions. They are investments in human dignity, resilience and generational progress,” she said.

Against a backdrop of rising living costs, climate change, technological advances and global economic pressures, Johnson urged governments to prevent uncertainty from permanently limiting citizens’ futures.