PM urges youth advisers to challenge old order of thinking
Published:Monday | April 25, 2022 | 12:06 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has tasked the incoming representatives of the Youth Advisory Council of Jamaica to challenge the old order of thinking, while noting that Jamaica is at a tipping point.
The servant-leaders were ushered in during the instalment of the third cohort, held at the Office of the Prime Minister.
“If ever anyone questions your ability to lead because you are a youth, look no further than 1st Timothy 4 verse 12, which says let no one despise you for your youth. But set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith and purity,” Holness said.
The prime minister said the youth group should not come to the Government to give the same advice to address issues that have been given before.
“We want new ways of thinking, a broader more global world view and outlook. I want you to have a different perspective on yourself as who you are as a Jamaican in the global community,” Holness said.
He urged the representatives to aim for world standard of excellence.
MUST NOT BE AFRAID
Holness said the youth leaders must not be afraid to challenge those who believe only their opinions matter and their perspectives should count.
“Challenge them, because it was their way of thinking that got us into the problems in the first place, and we must change those ways of thinking,” he said.
Holness said we have a large number of Jamaicans boring a hole in their hand middle, and there needs to be a national mobilising of our young people, which was started through the HOPE Programme.
“We need to get those young people into the labour force, because that is an important consideration – How do we attract them into the labour force?” he said. “We have to provide them with training and we also have to adjust attitudes and mindset, because some don’t want to work, and some you put them to work on the site and is problems.”
Speaking on the occasion, Fayval Williams, minister of education and youth, said she believes there is much value to young people being empowered to contribute to the formation of national development policies and programmes.
“We know that our young people are eager to present a vision of Jamaica that not only embraces their perspectives, but one which strives for effective youth development,” she said.