Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told youths at the Valletta Waterfront this evening that the re-election of a PN government was their best hope for jobs.

Dr Gonzi said the country needed to produce more skilled workers for new and emerging sectors including financial sectors, IT, the creative industry, pharmaceuticals and the aviation industry, among other sectors.

The prime minister underscored the investment which the government is making in schools, Mcast and the University. Funding for education, including the stipends, had been maintained despite the difficult economic scenario, he said, and that would continue to be the case.

Abroad, he said, University graduates were unable to find jobs. He, as prime minister, would not tolerate such a situation in Malta.

He also recalled that the government had proposed, in the Budget, that young people would be given a stipend if they opted to focus on voluntary work for a year.

Dr Gonzi said the government was also investing heavily in sports, including a new Sports School and more facilities, particularly to encourage more sorts disciplines.

The government was also planning to make school auditoriums available for bands and dancing troupes.