The Government will be restructuring the Youth Information Centres (YICs) across the island, to have them focusing on young people in business and the fostering of creative ideas.

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, said priority will be given to young persons who want to start profitable ventures, and the YICs will serve as hubs for such development.

“We want to revamp how they are looked at. We want them to be seen as creative spaces, and we want to change them from Youth Information Centres to Youth Innovation Communities,” he said, noting that there are 11 YICs in major town centres across the island.

The State Minister was addressing a group of youth leaders, on April 1, at the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, in Kingston.

“We are about innovation, bringing people together, giving you an opportunity to collaborate and build,” the Minister told the audience.

Meanwhile Mr. Green said that a Youth Advisory Council will be set up to give young people a voice in shaping Government policies. He requested their suggestions on how it should be structured.

Emphasising that the participation of youth is needed in decision-making, the State Minister informed that the Government will be re-establishing the Youth Parliament, to ensure that more persons in the youth population understand governance issues, and also to build trust between elected officials and the citizenry.

Mr. Green said that Youth Month, which is celebrated in November of each year, will also be restructured. “Youth Month should be a celebration of youth culture, and getting our young people into productive activities.”

Source: Jamaica Information Service