In a widely shared open letter circulating across Antigua and Barbuda’s local community platforms and social media, a disheartened 19-year-old local resident has stepped forward to share their unrelenting, nearly two-year struggle to secure formal employment, highlighting a little-discussed crisis facing young entry-level job seekers across the small Caribbean nation. The teen, who completed their secondary school certification in 2022, explained that they have submitted more than 70 applications across retail, hospitality, administrative support and entry-level public service roles, only to receive fewer than 10 formal responses, most of which stated that positions required 3 to 5 years of prior professional experience that no recent school leaver could reasonably obtain. The young job hunter emphasized that they are not seeking high wages or special perks, only a fair opportunity to build skills, earn a stable income and contribute to their local community, noting that many of their peers face identical barriers that push some young people to leave the island in search of opportunities overseas, or fall into precarious informal work with no employment protections. Local youth advocacy groups have since responded to the letter, calling on the Antiguan government and private sector employers to introduce targeted entry-level trainee schemes, waive unrealistic experience requirements for junior roles, and expand youth apprenticeship programs to prevent a generation of young local talent from being sidelined.
LETTER: Frustrated 19-Year-Old Antiguan Speaks Out After Nearly Two Years of Job Hunting
