PROVINCIAL youth leaders in Vanua Levu have started engaging youths in minor workshops and trainings to help them explore their talents and skills for sources of income.
The initiative comes in the wake of an increase in the number of youths spending less time on farming and more time on grog and alcohol consumption.
Cakaudrove Provincial Youth Council co-ordinator Anare Sikoa said youths in the province had been involved in trainings organised by faith-based and non-government organisations and government departments, to name a few, for the past few months.
"The youths are involved in sustainable livelihood programs, vocational training and farming activities to help them explore their skills," Mr Sikoa said.
"These kinds of training will change their mind-sets and generate ideas for them to utilise available resources for sources of income.
"We are trying to direct youths onto the right path so they don't waste their time sleeping in the daytime as a result of excessive drinking of grog and alcohol."
Macuata Provincial Youth Council president Manoa Tuiwainikai said they were identifying possible projects like fish farming and root crop farming where youths could come together to not only embark on the activity but also socialise and mingle.