Prime Minister Browne expressed deep concern over the growing issue of youth unemployment and the increasing tendency of young people to engage in criminal activities.
Speaking on Pointe FM the Prime Minister highlighted the challenges faced by young people who have dropped out of school and are seeking employment without the necessary qualifications.
According to Browne, many young people approach him seeking jobs but are unwilling to accept positions that match their skill levels. “You want a job at the port? Okay, there’s a vacancy for a mechanic. You can make $1,800 a month,” Browne said, recounting his conversations with youths. However, he noted that many reject such opportunities, demanding higher-paying jobs despite lacking the qualifications. “Some of them come and tell you they don’t want a $3,000 job. Unless they get a $5,000 job, they don’t want to work,” Browne remarked, emphasizing the unrealistic expectations held by some young people.
The Prime Minister also drew attention to the consequences of these attitudes, noting that many of these youths end up turning to illegal activities such as drug dealing, which often leads to their involvement in crime and violence. “They end up pushing marijuana, they end up in crime and violence, they end up in jail,” he said.
Browne expressed his frustration with the situation, pointing out that the problem is not new and is not limited to any specific community. He recalled a time in the early 2000s when he and others were taken to court for speaking out at a Labor Day event, during which he observed a disturbing trend among young men coming in and out of the courtroom for various offenses. “We saw a whole slew of young people coming in and out of the court…bad, wicked young men,” he said, echoing the concerns raised by a colleague at the time who predicted that these young men would pose a significant problem for society in the future.
The Prime Minister stressed the need for urgent action to address these issues, calling for more efforts to educate and reform young people. He acknowledged that many young people today are focused on making quick money, often without regard for how they obtain it. “It’s about money, and they don’t care how they get it—just get them the money,” Browne warned, noting that similar sentiments may be found among other groups in society.
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I do be skeptical about that job pay offer too, in the 80’s when I was young I started off working at a statutory corporation for $178.00 per week, and had to pay bus from country side, and then follow my pairs buying lunch and breakfast ending up owing the shop keeper, so there are some government jobs though secure will have you Destin to a future of poverty, your upward mobility socially and economically will be as you saw the older people end up, that job you will live to work and not work to live, meaning no savings or infrastructural development, house rent would be a $1000.00 per month then utility bills and food and clothing, it’s just creating the cycle of poverty over again, we got to stop mimicking old days and colonial wages that was set in place as guidelines before independence, but anyway I left that government job and went abroad got better qualified and came back, only to meet an obstacle of these bad minded Antiguan who don’t want you to get the same monies like them, and stifle you when they are square pegs, and trust me , don’t you ever take a job from the minister, because they going send you there as a menial worker, I went to the manager over and over until he said you are persistent, and probably need the job. The jobs need more incentives starting with low wages will create certain efficacy in work ethics on a government job, like unprofessionalism and dysfunctionalism, so start that person with better pay incentivize a better out put and work ethics.
i hope the 1800 for a mechanic was just a joke
To be honest $1,800 is no longer a wage the average person can live on if they are not living at home or in a cohabitation situation.
rent alone will take more than 70% of that income food will kill the rest and with the cost of living you’ll end up in a net negative situation, and God forbid you have any medical expense or children. it is not enough for the average Antiguan to live on if they have children or any living expenses
Instead of being so critical of people, be part of the solution. Provide more avenues and opportunities for people get trained and educated. Due to the extremely high cost of living, everyone must seek the highest paying jobs in order to make ends meet. A big part of the chaos we are experiencing in Antigua and Barbuda stems from the hardships and lack of opportunities that the common man is facing. The benefits of the Economics Powerhouse is not seen and felt by the average person. Even those people who are working are struggling and it includes teachers, nurses, police, civil servants and more. Salaries are barely able to buy food and pay bills and many has had to resort to “hustling” as an alternative. Let’s not pretend that life is a bed if roses for many who are barely able to get by monthly. Only a privilege few have their “bread buttered” and can remain silent. Lets not fool ourselves. There is a direct relationship between crime and citizens economic well-being. Address that and stop belittling our people.
Gaston you really a mess with people mind how would you feel if you was working for 1800 a month and have to take care of your kid and have to take bus and buy food pay light and water me can bet you would a done start to thief rent money alone would mek you start to rob people you have bad mine you ugly Rass hole why you don’t make son work for 1800 see if he nah start bull man
To be fair, EC $5000, even $6000 is actually what the average worker (not just the high-end positions) should be getting to survive with the current prices of housing, food etc. here. We are now paying American style prices (even higher with the cost of shipping) on American minimum wages (EC $3000) and even less than their minimum wage (EC$1800) for many. Even Americans can’t survive with one job on their minimum wage. However, any wage is better than no wage, and definitely better than a life of crime. As a society, we do, however, need to consider how wages can be increased to match the cost of living.
He said those who drop out of school. You got to start somewhere and baby step your way to a better living.
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