SVG hosts 5th annual Caribbean Youth Entrepreneurship Conference

The fifth annual Caribbean Youth Entrepreneurship Conference will be held here in St Vincent this week.{{more}}

The conference, which takes place at the Methodist Church Hall, on September 13 and 14, will explore a variety of issues, including the extent to which agriculture and entrepreneurship can stimulate the economy.

Entrepreneurs, aspiring youth entrepreneurs, representatives from other Youth Business Trusts from around the Caribbean, along with stakeholders and specialists in the agricultural diaspora and government officials will interact within these two days, working towards the common goal of exploring the theme: “Youth Entrepreneurship – The Catalyst for a Sustainable Caribbean Economic Take-off”.

The conference will be hosted by Youth Business SVG (YBSVG), which was established to address these concerns by working with young entrepreneurs to reduce the level of poverty, unemployment and underemployment of young people in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The keynote address will be delivered by Stanton Defreitas, an Associate Consultant at DeFreitas & Associates (www.defreitas-consulting.com), a professional services firm with offices currently in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Canada, Belize and Dominica.

Defreitas stated that he is honoured to be selected as the keynote speaker for such a grand occasion. “It is a great pleasure to be an ambassador for entrepreneurship and Youth Business SVG. I am always grateful to share my thoughts with others and I am looking forward to be part of the conference”.

“We recognise the significance of strong partnerships in the marketing and promotion of our young entrepreneurs in St Vincent and the Grenadines and the region. We, at Youth Business SVG, are honoured to welcome the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines to address the closing of the conference,” said Kenrick Quashie, Managing Director of Youth Business SVG.

He also stated that it is a great opportunity for young entrepreneurs to learn about Youth Business SVG and how the organisation will benefit them.

Dr Marcia Brandon, Executive Director of Barbados Youth Business Trust, also acknowledged the significance of having the prime minister on board.

“To have the prime minister deliver the closing address is significant, because it shows he understands the impact this organisation will have on the sustainable economic and social development of St Vincent and the Grenadines.”

Young people aged 18 to 35 can now apply for registration at our office, located in the Griffith’s Building ground floor. General registration forms are also available at: http://www.youthbusiness.org.vc/docs/CYECRForm.pdf . General participant registration is on a first come, first served basis. Youth Business SVG encourages young people as to be part of this event.

Sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. on both days.

The conference is sponsored by St Hill Insurance, LIME, Louise Mitchell Joseph, Elizabeth Law Chambers, Frank B. Armstrong and Aeropost.