PRIME Minister Stuart Young said he will be forming an Arts and Cultural Innovation Council to harness the skills and competencies of young people in the creative sector and entertainment industry, in order to monetise the cultural arts of this country.
He said this plan was a recognition that there are many young people - both with formal education and those with other skills - who are unable to find meaningful jobs.
Young spoke at the PNM's general election campaign at the Mt Hope/Mt Lambert community centre in the Aranguez/St Joseph constituency. He spoke one day after the UNC held its economic town hall meeting at the La Joya Complex which is also in this key general election constituency.
Saying he had spoken to many youths while on his walkabouts and in doing so, he realised many youths who have formal education and many more who have other tangible skills, are unable to get jobs.
"So tonight I have taken a decision to tell TT one of the plans of the new PNM government on April 29. I intend to establish a council of young artistes, young entertainers and cultural leaders to bring their vision, their talent, their patriotism to help the PNM government, under me, to help develop the arts and culture in this country."
Young said this country was replete with "tremendous talent" in the creative sector, in the entertainment industry and this council, working with the government, will convert skills, talent and ideas especially from young people, into "millions of dollars in foreign exchange."
He said this country and its people export their skills, talent and ideas overseas and this can be seen in Notting hill Carnival and in other carnivals in other countries.
"I intend to harness that to work with them, this Arts and Culture Innovation Council, to work with us...because we need to find a way for our young, talented people to find that way to turn that into hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign exchange."
Speaking at his first public elections campaign since being sworn-in as the prime minister, Young promised to fight for all of the country and that he wanted to foster national unity, but to do so, he needed permission from the nation by way of the PNM returning to the corridors of power after the April 28 general election.
He boasted that the PNM was the first and only political party that has presented a full slate of candidates for all 41 constituencies up for grabs in the election.
He said the country had important decisions to make on election day, the first of which was to actually go out and vote.
"Don't stay home and take anything for granted. So for the future of the country, this is for them, on April 28, the first decision I ask of every citizen who is interested in building the country, go out and vote."
He boasted that the Government had built a solid foundation over the past ten years and this was why the population should give the PNM the right to return to government.
He said voters had to take a conscious decision as to which party to vote for.
He said in vot
