Youth Entrepreneurship on the Move

28.APR.06

From its inception, the Centre for Enterprise Development Inc, recognised the importance of involving young people in entrepreneurship and business training. Unable to have this incorporated into the school’s curriculum, CED formerly SEDU introduced a number of initiatives such as our Youth Business and Enterprise Training (YOUBET) seminars, visits to schools to distribute colouring books and encourage thrift, sponsoring of students and teachers at the Layou Vocational School to attend our Management Techniques for Skilled Persons seminar among others.{{more}} We hoped that by so doing the spirit of entrepreneurship would be fostered among our youth.

This year CED got an excellent opportunity to assist students at the Campden Park Multipurpose Centre engaged in a special programme to learn about Entrepreneurship. There are over thirty (30) students involved in the training with some coming from as far as Georgetown and the Grenadines. The programme is well attended and caters to the needs of all students. If you were not sure how entrepreneurship education can help your students, this article shares some ideas with you. Let’s get the spirit of entrepreneurship instilled in our students from an early age!

As a facilitator of entrepreneurship education, I have found that it allows youth the opportunity to assume responsibility, take control of events in their lives, enact change, take initiative, and improve creativity. The environment in which entrepreneurship is taught encourages students to become involved in active rather than passive learning. The combination of individualised and team-based activities provides participants with an excellent opportunity to learn using different methods. Entrepreneurship methodology fosters the development of skills in working with others, completing activities as a team and learning from each other. The classroom becomes a hive of activities that teach real life lessons equipping students with skills such as decision-making and creative thinking that they are called upon to use in the real world.

In addition, effective entrepreneurship challenges participants to focus on goals. It enables them to enjoy accomplishments in relation to their areas of personal strengths, increasing their likelihood of success. Entrepreneurship teaches young people that they can experience small accomplishments and move on to setting more challenging goals once these are realised. It is an excellent medium for boosting self-confidence and self-esteem and changing students’ perception of themselves.

Above all, entrepreneurship education is about fun and excitement. Fun, excitement, and humour help to encourage innovative thinking. These techniques are also a great way of motivating learners.

For more information on how to get an Entrepreneurship class going at your school, please contact us at the Centre for Enterprise Development Inc.

• Submitted by the Centre for Enterprise Development Inc. First Floor Methodist Building Granby Street, P.O. Box 2343. Kingstown, St. Vincent. CED is a non-profit company that provides business development services to the local private sector.