Lisa Hanna Calls for More Youth Information Centres

Opposition Spokesperson on Information and Youth, Lisa Hanna is urging the Government to build more youth information centres across the island.
Currently there are four centres that provide information, counselling and access to the internet.
Miss Hanna said even though three additional centres are to be built, there was a need to extend their functions to include: resource opportunities for learning how to practise a healthy lifestyle; provision of training; help with job placement; and access to capital for entrepreneurship and agricultural development.
“We need to encourage our private sector to partner with these centres to lead mentorship and leadership programmes on an ongoing basis,” Miss Hanna said.
She was making her contribution to the 2008/09 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, yesterday (June 24).
Miss Hanna suggested that the youth centres seek to become incubators within their respective communities and identify unattached youth for talent development, so as to limit their propensity to engage in illegal activities.
“Persons who attend these centres regularly must be provided with up- to-date information and the necessary skills to help them critically evaluate their value and positioning towards Jamaica’s development and prepare them for the global marketplace,” she said.
Miss Hanna said this would help to reduce the number of children and young adults on the street corners, cleaning windshields or being arrested by the police.