Young people helping to change mindset, culture toward development – VP Jagdeo

• Says internships will be bigger part of university curriculum

Speaking to a room packed with young people, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday charged those present to continue to play their role in changing the mindset and culture towards national development.

Dr Jagdeo made this call during an interactive youth forum hosted by the University of Guyana’s Economic Society (UGES).

“It is people like you who have to change [this mindset]. Young people like you. That’s why I’m spending time here, talking about analyzing things in a bigger framework than what you just hear some man saying on the road…or on TikTok,” he posited.

As part of this approach, the vice president reiterated the administration’s commitment to listening to young people and incorporating their views into national development policies.

“The outreaches that we do is because the PPP remains connected to the ground. We do it as a matter of principle,” Dr Jagdeo explained.

He said that government will continue to speak openly about its plans so that they are not drowned by falsehood that permeate the society.

“My big fear is that if we don’t speak enough about it, as boring as it is, then many people in an unsuspecting way…particularly young people, they will actually subscribe and repeat the falsehoods…then you get caught in the populist form of policy making,” the vice president explained.

With the government now fully financing the University of Guyana, Dr Jagdeo said that the institution will now focus on more internship and attachment opportunities. The intention, he said, is to aptly prepare more youth for the world of work.

“It could become part of the curriculum and part of the testing system…the university should do more of the attachments and the government can ensure that we facilitate that,” Dr Jagdeo noted.

The vice president encouraged the young people to be part of the change they want to see.

Meanwhile, participants of the forum spoke with the Department of Public Information and commended the initiative.

“It is an opportunity for our youths present here today to gain insight on questions they may have, to engage directly with the vice president himself, and to be inspired to drive meaningful change,” President of the UGES Amal Kadir said.

“As a young entrepreneur, I found it especially impactful. The questions raised and the answers given spoke directly to my experiences and the realities of running a business as a young person in Guyana,” 19 year-old Kimora Payne said.

Third-year Economics student Attiya Griffith said that more of these forums should occur so that young people can continue to be integrally involved in the decision-making matrix of the country.

“Forums like these are vital for empowering youth voices and creating space for open dialogue on issues that affect our future,” she said.

Since assuming office in 2020, ministers of the PPP/C government have participated in a slew of engagement activities to ensure the voices of Guyanese are heard and there issues addressed.