ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA, June 09, 2014 – GIS: Youth Minister the Hon Emmalin Pierre assures the youthful population that government is attempting to pave the way for them to have a bright future.
Pierre says that the Imani Program is designed to do just that with trainees being given an opportunity to obtain skills and knowledge for the job market, to empower themselves.
With another 1,000 joining the program, which takes the number to 3,000, Pierre indicates government is devising ways and means to cater for youngsters.
She nonetheless assures the youthful population that government is fighting against all odds to provide them with opportunities.
The Minister said that government is not reaching out to the youths for votes as was claimed by some people prior to the last General Election; but are indeed going all out to empower and prepare the youthful population to make a meaningful contribution to national development.
“We understand the plight of our young people; we understand the heartache and pain of our young people when they do not have an opportunity”, Pierre told the large gathering at the recent St David Constituency Forum.
Minister Pierre sees enterprise as one of the opportunities that can be exploited and calls on parents to help their children develop a culture of enterprise.
“One of the things we should be doing as parents is to be encouraging our young people to look to small business and enterprise as an option as an alternative”, she suggested, indicating that students should not just graduate and sit and wait on an opportunity from government, or sit and wait an opportunity from the private sector”, she pointed out. Minister Pierre is happy with the annual Junior Achievement Program, which exposes students to enterprise and business.
The youth minister says that there is the need to create a culture of enterprise.
“While we understand the situation with our young people, while we understand the demands and need for opportunities, I want to encourage us tonight to encourage our young people to think about starting their own businesses as a culture that we do not have and stop looking to government and the private sector as the only option that they have”.
