Shaw calls on youth to create own wealth

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, is encouraging young people to unleash their entrepreneurial pursuits to create their own wealth and not be motivated by notions of instant gratification.

“The vision for our young people is that they be educated and set on a path to embrace the values of hard, honest work in order to earn a decent livelihood to support themselves and their families and, by extension, contribute to their communities,” said Minister Shaw.

He was speaking at a meeting of the Optimist Club of Kingston held at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Jamaica in St. Andrew on September 27, 2018. The Optimist Club of Kingston is part of Optimist International, which places special emphasis on assisting youth.

It is my belief, Minister Shaw said, that it is to the youth that we must look for the kind of innovation and creativity that is needed as the catalyst for the growth and expansion of our economy, noting that youth account for nearly half of the nation’s population.

Referring to Expo Jamaica 2018, Minister Shaw stated that one of his most memorable experiences since becoming Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries was witnessing the participation of talented and innovative young entrepreneurs at the expo in April.

“For example, at the Jamaica Emerging Manufacturers and Services Village, I saw three young PhD graduates from the University of the West Indies who decided to put their knowledge to work and develop new and competitive nutraceutical products, utilising natural Jamaican materials,” Minister Shaw said.

“We also saw packaging innovations for the coffee industry, which will allow consumers to have a coffee percolator in a bag,” he added.
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