Holness, Fitz-Henley dialogue with host of UWI’s regional guild leaders

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has called on the guild leadership of several University of the West Indies campuses in Jamaica to engage in a series of activities on tertiary students and regional integration. The prime minister and his State Minister, Senator Abka Fitz-Henley, met for approximately two hours with 35 members of the regional University's guild leadership during an extended courtesy call at Jamaica House on Friday. Holness also fielded a range of questions from the guild representatives from Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines and the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Jamaica. The enquiries made of the prime minister ranged from areas, including access to affordable housing, debt management in Jamaica and across the region, regional integration and strategic leadership at the student, regional and global leadership level and how to increase productivity and efficiency across the region. Holness urged the students to remain focused on the mission of cultivating stronger ties across the region and the global village and becoming professionals whose skillsets, mindset and attitude are fit-for-purpose in a dynamic and ever changing global labour force. University of the West Indies Mona Campus Guild President, Keshawn McGrath, thanked the prime minister and state minister for agreeing to meet and field questions from the regional student leadership. McGrath indicated that it is the University Guild's intention to seek further audience with the leadership of Government towards arriving at a better understanding of issues which confront nation states both at the local, regional and international level. Commenting on the interaction via his social media page, Holness said: "Our engagement provided an opportunity to hear directly from student leaders across the campuses and discuss matters affecting students and young people. We discussed student development, leadership, education and opportunities for young Jamaicans, while sharing perspectives on issues of national importance." He told the students that he values such engagements as it is important to listen to young people and ensure their voices are part of the wider conversation on the future of our region. Minister Fitz-Henley told the regional university's guild representatives that the Government of Jamaica is committed to further engagement with their respective bodies towards positively advancing discussion on issues which are of concern to them and are relevant to the future advancement of societies across the region. "One of the factors which drew me to political service as part of Prime Minister Holness' administration is his willingness to engage with the younger cohort of our population, towards addressing issues of concern and finding solutions. The prime minister values our opinion and sees our contribution as important to helping to shape policy at various levels of government, including the highest level," he said. The regional guild leaders, who are not members of the Mona Campus student leadership, are to depart Jamaica on Sunday and return to their respective campuses.