On 20 November, 1992, the Honourable Wendell Mottley, Minister of Finance, introduced the Cabinet and people of Trinidad and Tobago to what was originally President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s concept of the Civilian Conservation Corps. In that speech, the Honourable Minister indicated that the Trinidad and Tobago Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) would address two grave needs: prevalent unemployment among individuals aged 18 to 25 yeas old, and the conservation of our nation’s beautiful natural environment.
In Section 7 of his speech, the Honourable Minister indicated that the CCC would be overseen and administered by the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, under the Ministry of National Security, and would “not only impart important skills to participants but also contribute immeasurably to the conservation of our environment.”
On 4 February, 1993, the Cabinet agreed to the establishment of the CCC Programme and thus, the Trinidad and Tobago Civilian Conservation Corps was officially created. The first cycle of the CCC Programme began on 14th June, 1993 with 743 Trainees in four (4) regions.
The Trinidad and Tobago Civilian Conservation Corps successfully completed that first cycle in 1993, and steadily gained momentum in subsequent years. Unfortunately, the Programme was discontinued in 1999, despite its success.