Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has urged young people to take full advantage of Saint Lucia’s recently opened Youth Economy Agency (YEA).
“I am appealing to the Youth of Saint Lucia ages 18-35 years old to access this unique space which will facilitate training, mentorship and grant-loan financing,” Pierre wrote on Facebook.
And the Castries East MP explained that the benefits would be available to new and existing entrepreneurs.
The Youth Economy Agency, launched last month, officially opened its offices on Monday at #27 Chaussee Road, Castries.
The opening coincided with the advent of Youth Month in Saint Lucia, and with Commonwealth member countries marking 2023 as the Year of Youth, dedicated to youth-led action for sustainable and inclusive development.
Established by the Youth Economy Act No. 17 of 2022, YEA provides young people a unique economic space to turn hobbies into entrepreneurship and skills into businesses.
The youth need paid mentorship programs to acquire marketable skills so that they can become gainfully employed and self reliant. This should be an integral part of the youth economy.
Youth Economy Agency.
This is nothing more than smoke and mirrors wordplay and a PR stunt and waste of government resources and taxpayers money.
There is no such thing as a Youth Economy.
There is THE ECONONY.
If you float the St Lucian economy then ALL economic boats rise , including economic activity beneficial to the youth.
If you do not improve the whole economy of our country you cannot improve the economy of a subsector called the youth. Simple logic and reality. But the SLP do not function logically and with the interest of St Lucians. Their only concern is filling their pockets and enjoying the perks of political power.
The real time recent murder of 3 more St Lucians in Vieux Fort shows that the moribund SLP leadership do not even have a handle on the most important factor in a robust economy – which is watertight internal security.
The recently revealed machinations in government entities involving land sales to family and friends, the presence of certain individuals in government administration, the silence on the management of governmemt agencies and statistically therefore a slew of yet to be disclosed issues , speaks of corruption as a major force in our so called Christian nation.
Non existent internal security, corruption, mismanagement, free for all with government finances, unecessary taxes (including for gas) , high unemployment, ridiculous inflation on the most basic of household items are all predictors of a crashing economy.
An economy that is yet to recover from the worst global pandemic of the last 100 years. With the sleigh of hand and deceitful SLP congratulating themselves for the natural and expected increased activity for a post pandemic period. Did you expect the economy to decline after the post Covid reopening? Which country has not expanded following Covid?
What a clown show!
As usual as they have done for the past 25 years the SLP will set up this agency, with scarce resources then turn their backs as the PR is all that interests them.
So my dear ‘Youff” – look around you. Good Paying Jobs ? Leaders looking after you? Vibrant economy? Money to but a house and car? Monthly salary to buy baby food, pay for electricity and the phone? Well you know the answer to that and your SLP leaders have absolutely no answers for you!
People under 30 don’t work. They get all their sustenance from WhatsApp and Tiktok all day long.
The problem I have is the long lines at Western Union and Moneygram. When you have a population dependent on foreign cash their relatives send for them they don’t feel they have to work. The number of these people I have seen fired, they act like they working is optional. They more in a hurry to leave work and go to parties. Living off the scraps the white people give their relatives to send to them at home.
I don’t even think these people know what the youth economy is. It’s just a nice sounding term, they throw about to confuse the youth, buy votes and create jobs for party hacks. We continue to fail the youth, all our systems continue to fail them.
@Zeigy – you are speaking the truth and to your post I say that’s exactly how they want to live and the nerve to ask for name brand clothing, cell phone etc. etc etc etc. – AMEN AND AMEN
True story – I remember growing up when we had bills to pay. My mother called a meeting and this is what she said the rent is x amount – therefore all those who live here and are working MUST contribute equally. If you are in school – you do not have to contribute right now because “school is your job” – go learn and study hard. Guess what – we did just that and today we are all the better for it and I am so grateful to my mother as she RIP.
I taught my kids to work for what you want – a legitimate job. They went to school acquired their degrees and credentials – praise God. Today, they are gainfully employed and taking care of their expenses. You see children learn where they live; it’s not the responsibility of the GOVERNMENT to fix your family and PROVIDE for your family…
Unemployment is forecasted to skyrocket as the USD enters hyper inflation…so many of us unemployed while royalton keeping on bring down their managers n Spanish workers alot of dem gate keeping n preventing the youths 4rm working thus resulting in idleness crime n mischief something society created to many gate keepers holding bac the youth….we feel nobody want to hire us nobody listens…now crime ready to stop the country process n tourism…they created the preference n bius anyway