PRIME MINISTER DREW CHAMPIONS YOUTH INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AT VALIDATION WORKSHOP
Basseterre, Saint Kitts, May 22, 2026 (SKNIS): Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, has underscored the immense potential of the nation’s young people and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating opportunities for youth-led innovation and entrepreneurship during the opening of the Youth Economic Empowerment Bureau Validation Workshop held today, May 22, 2026.
Addressing stakeholders, youth leaders, and participants at the workshop, Prime Minister Drew encouraged the young people of Saint Kitts and Nevis to adopt a global mindset and to see themselves not limited by population and size, but as active participants in an increasingly interconnected world.
“The world is your stage, and you must see yourself as capable of competing and succeeding on that stage,” Prime Minister Drew stated, while emphasising that the advancement of technology and access to information have created unprecedented opportunities for innovation and economic participation.
Dr. Drew highlighted several recent achievements by local youth groups, including the success of the St. Kitts and Nevis Robotics Association, which developed an electronic health record system that was ranked among the best in the Caribbean by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). The achievement has since led to a major contract opportunity valued at approximately EC$5 million.
He also praised the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College’s AI Association for winning a regional competition after enhancing the government’s ASPIRE Programme with interactive stock market learning tools designed to promote financial literacy among young people across Saint Kitts and Nevis.
“These accomplishments demonstrate that the youth of Saint Kitts and Nevis can compete with anyone in the region and beyond,” Dr. Drew said. “Our size does not define our potential.”
The prime minister explained that the proposed Youth Economic Empowerment Bureau is being established to create a streamlined, supportive environment where young people with business ideas and entrepreneurial ambitions can access mentorship, financing pathways, training, and technical support.
The bureau is intended to assist youth seeking to establish new businesses to meet the growing demand for expanding services in Saint Kitts and Nevis, while directly engaging young people in emerging sectors such as tourism, agriculture, technology, and the orange economy.
Prime Minister Drew stressed that economic empowerment extends beyond large-scale enterprises and includes support for small and micro businesses, which he described as critical drivers of economic growth.
“We cannot underestimate the power of small and micro businesses,” he stated. “A small idea, properly supported, can transform a family, strengthen a community, and contribute to national development.”
The Validation Workshop forms part of the government’s consultative process to refine and strengthen the framework for the Youth Economic Empowerment Bureau before its formal implementation.
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