Message from the Honourable Danny Williams
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
It is my pleasure to present "Creating a Province of Choice: A Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy."
If we give our youth opportunities to take an active role in shaping what Newfoundland and Labrador can offer them, we will empower them to apply their ambition, their talents, and their passion towards building a province that is innovative, progressive, self-reliant and successful. If we treat them like leaders, they will create a place of leadership.
This was the motivation behind developing this youth retention and attraction strategy, and it is also why my Government considers this to be one of the most important initiatives we have ever undertaken.
The ultimate goal of our strategy is to remove the term "out-migration" from our vocabularies in the same way we have removed the term "have not."
It is important to do this because our greatest resource is our young people, who are consistently proving they are leaders on the world stage. They are medal winners at the Olympics, they are stars in professional sports, they are internationally acclaimed performing artists, writers, comedians and musicians, and they are some of the country's finest entrepreneurs.
Our young people have limitless potential, and Newfoundland and Labrador is a place of limitless possibility. However, it became clear to us that in order for our youth to view this province as the place where they should follow their dreams, we needed to determine the specific needs of the younger generation and then use that information to create a place that fosters their futures. This strategy will achieve this, and I am excited about the immediate impact it will have.
Retaining and attracting youth has always been, and will always be, a priority for my Government. This is why we have committed over $3.5 million towards this important initiative thus far. I can assure you that investing in youth will always be a key part of our approach to building prosperity, and that you can look forward to seeing positive changes for youth in the future. Our elimination of interest from student loans is just one example of the kind of actions that will be taken over the next three years as a result of this new youth strategy.
I am eager to see the positive change that will come about in our province from this initiative. I am also grateful to all the young people who made such a huge and consistent effort towards making this endeavor a success. May this strategy set a new standard for youth engagement in our province, and may we all look forward to building a better future together.
Danny Williams, Q.C.
Premier