CED hosts training sessons for budding entrepreneurs

Budding entrepreneurs in rural communities will have the support that they need to let their creative juices flow.{{more}}

Last Monday, January 26, the Centre of Enterprise Development (CED) hosted a Training of Trainers workshop, which is part of the Reducing Rural Poverty through Entrepreneurship programme.

Approximately 26 persons, who are based in rural communities as Agricultural Extension and Adult Education officers, among other fields, came together to be trained so that they could offer assistance to persons who are seeking to find new paths to self-sufficiency.

Director of CED, Felix Lewis, explained that the training seminar is just one aspect of the overall programme that is sponsored by the Organization of American States.

In addition to this training, there will be direct training of entrepreneurs in rural communities, starting in Chateaubelair, and provision has also been made to do a business organizing and start up pilot project in each community.

The CED will also be establishing field offices to offer close up continuous support to these new business ventures.

“These field offices will bring business development assistance to the communities,” Lewis said at the opening ceremony of the workshop.

Meanwhile, the local representative for the OAS, Melene Glynn, said that the OAS is a proud partner with the government in this effort of reorganizing the rural economies.

“By providing learning opportunities for people in rural areas, by helping them to enhance their job skills or acquire new ones, by providing the start-up resources that they need to earn a livelihood and by encouraging them to develop a spirit of entrepreneurship which allows them to successfully apply their skills and resources to finding new paths to self- sustainability, the OAS is working to promote development in rural areas, and to reduce poverty in our Member States,” Glynn said.

Glynn commended the CED for initiating, conceptualizing and developing the project.

When he addressed the opening ceremony of the workshop, Minister of Technology, Dr Jerrol Thompson, had some advice for established businesses.

He joined the chorus that has been sung by Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, saying that success is possible in these trying times.

“Don’t be talked into thinking that you are going to have a bad year,” he said.

Thompson said that businesses must re-strategize and position themselves to make more revenue.

“We are not going to let something like a global recession daunt us and hold us down,” the minister said.