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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