NLIS 4
September 14, 2001
(Youth and Post-Secondary Education)

 


Youth Advisory Committee reports successful first meeting

The newly-formed Newfoundland and Labrador Youth Advisory Committee (NLYAC) had a productive inaugural meeting in Gander, September 7-9.

"Despite our different ages, backgrounds, experience and issues, it became obvious that we all want to improve the present and future situation for the youth of Newfoundland and Labrador. I can speak for all of us when I say that our commitment to this province's youth is genuine. If it were not, it is doubtful that the members would have walked away last weekend with the strong sense of accomplishment that they did," said spokesperson Ted Laurentius.

The 15-member committee, ranging in age from 16-26, was officially announced on Friday, September 7, 2001. The committee met for three days to discuss issues of importance to the youth of Newfoundland and Labrador. As expected, these issues were very important and wide-ranging.

"There was no shortage of issues to discuss," said Mr. Laurentius. "Racial and lifestyle discrimination, meaningful employment opportunities, the education of students with disabilities and substance abuse all figure very strongly. Our task now is to take a closer look at these issues with an eye on finding productive, working solutions that we can relay to the minister. We are really eager to get to the point where talk gives way to action."

Over the next three months, the committee will focus its energies on three main working groups � affordable access to education, employment and career development, and empowering youth within their communities.

"Although the Youth Advisory Committee will be reaching out to both the province's youth and youth-relevant organizations, it is still too early to say how this will be done," Mr. Laurentius added.

"We recognize that if we are to represent the concerns and ideas of the province's youth accurately, communication between the committee and young people is going to have to take priority," he said. "This committee is about bettering life and opportunity for youth in Newfoundland and Labrador, and that demands an approach that is accessible to everyone."

The Youth Advisory Committee is optimistic its next two years will be very productive.

"We held over 20 hours of meetings this weekend, so everyone was exhausted by its end. But I think we left feeling extremely positive about what lies ahead and what we are capable of," he said. "What really encourages me about the whole process is that we have the ears of the people who can effect real change within policy, programs and legislation without being dictated by them. The minister, as well as senior bureaucrats in the key departments that we will be making recommendations to, have made it very clear to us that while their resources are our resources, we are in complete control of how the committee will evolve. We have a strong voice, and I have no doubt it is going to be taken very seriously."

"I'm very impressed with this group of young people," said Sandra Kelly, Minister of Youth Services and Post-Secondary Education. "They worked long hard hours this past weekend and I expect them to let government know in the upcoming months the issues, concerns, work-plan and actions they want to implement with us. I look forward to getting their input on improvements to many areas in my department including meaningful work experience for summer student employment programs, student aid and career planning."

The next meeting of the committee has been scheduled for November in St. John's.

Media contact:

Janice Lockyer Communications (709) 729-5730
Reg Wright Youth Advisory Committee Communications Liaison (709) 256-2763

  
Background:

The mandate of the Youth Advisory Committee, struck in July of this year, is two-fold. The committee will provide a forum for the open discussion of key issues affecting the young people of Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition, the committee will advise the Minister of Youth Services and Post-Secondary Education on government's youth-related programs and policies. 

Membership is representative of all regions of the province, the aboriginal and special needs communities and is gender-balanced. Membership is for a two to three-year term.

The fifteen member committee consists of:

Trent Wyatt Nain
Dan Hill Sheshatshui
Robert Beresford St. Anthony
Kathryn Sparrow Corner Brook
Bronwyn Rideout Kippens
Denise Walsh Grand Falls-Windsor
Lori Perry Gander
Jamie Clements Grand Bank
Chris Hatcher Grand Bank
Ted Laurentius St. John's
Susan Taylor St. John's
Janice Bown Goulds
Niraj Shukla St. John's
Sarah Arnott St. John's
Crystal Sheppard Labrador

2001 09 14                                        10:50 a.m. 


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