Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph has urged the government to develop a dedicated strategy to support students with developmental delays and integrate them into national workforce training programmes.

Speaking during parliamentary debate on the ABCAS Bill, Sir Molwyn said the education system must create opportunities for young people with autism and other cognitive challenges to participate meaningfully in society.

“We have to work out a scenario to help train those children,” he said, adding that with proper support, these individuals can function in the workplace as adults. “Children with autism can function in any society. I’ve seen it.”

He announced that the government has already approved a policy to begin employing some of these individuals. “We just hired one of them at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre,” he said.

Sir Molwyn highlighted the urgent need for structured pathways from education to employment, suggesting that institutions under the new Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies (ABCAS) could play a key role in training and certifying youth with special needs.

“We have to stop sidelining these young people,” he said. “It is our responsibility to give them the tools to live full, independent lives.”

He described the initiative as part of a broader vision for a more inclusive society, calling on both educators and employers to do more. “We need to see the potential in every young person — and help them reach it.”