The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Pam Parsons, Minister of Rural Economic Development, and Minister Responsible for WorkplaceNL:

Speaker, I stand to acknowledge four outstanding youth joining us in our gallery today for their radio and video work addressing workplace injury prevention.

Congratulations to Eli Peach of Southwest Arm Academy, Little Heart’s Ease, Darwin Anderson and Jayda Crummey of Holy Spirit High School, Conception Bay South, and Mehak Humayun of Macdonald Drive Junior High in St. John’s.

They are the 2025 award recipients of WorkplaceNL’s Student Safety Video and Radio Ad Contest encouraging junior and senior high students in the province to share the message that we must always be aware of potential hazards on the job. You can see and hear these winning submissions on WorkplaceNL’s YouTube channel.

Sharing the perspectives and voices of our students and young workers is crucial for effectively promoting workplace safety and health across Newfoundland and Labrador, and I encourage more students to get involved.

Young workers, aged 15-24 years, are typically at higher risk of injury on the job. WorkplaceNL continues to invest in programs that engage youth to become more aware of workplace safety and injury prevention.

Speaker, I ask my colleagues in this honourable House to stand with me to congratulate Eli, Darwin, Jayda and Mehak.

Thank you.