Young people to hone entrepreneurial skills

Thirty young people between the ages of 18 and 30, will, over the next five days, learn how to develop and hone their entrepreneurial skills, thanks to a workshop called the Creativity for Employment and Business Opportunity (CEBO).

The workshop, which is a product of the Caricom {{more}}Secretariat in conjunction with the Youth Affairs Department and the Caricom Youth Ambassadors from St Vincent, began yesterday at the Girl Guide headquarters at Level Gardens.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, CARICOM Assistant Secrety General, Human and Social Development, Dr. Douglas Slater said CEBO is a “whirlwind and intense” six-day training programme that was developed to engage, motivate and inspire entreprenuerial interest and action among youth.

“I have seen workshops in operation and you are going to remember what I just said. Be prepared to work this coming week,” Slater said.

The CEBO programme was developed in 2012 by a broad based Regional Technical Working Group (TWG) appointed by the CARICOM Secretariat. The programme fulfils commitments in the Declaration of Paramaribo on the Future of Youth in the Community; and responds to recommendations in the reports of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development and the “Second Chance – Reducing Risk and Vulnerability Among Youth” Pilot Project in 2010.

During the workshop, which runs from July 21 -26, participants will learn how to set up and staff simulated companies, develop basic plans and create, market and sell products or services using seed money provided by the simulated bank of CEBO.

At the end of the workshop, companies will prepare a profit and loss statements and analyse their mistakes and successes.

Slater said many of our citizens do not understand enough about Caricom and therefore do not see the benefit of it, mainly due to their ignorance.

“We hope that after this workshop, which is an activity of Caricom, you will be encouraged to learn more, understand more of Caricom and to promote it some more,” Slater said.

According to Slater, this is the first CEBO programme to be held in St Vincent and the Grenadines. He said CEBO workshops had previously been held in five member states as a pilot project over the past year.

Those workshops were facilitated by the government of Japan, Italy and USAID (the United States Agency for International Development).

And now with the support of the government of Spain, through the Caricom Spain Citizen Security Support Project, and USAID, under the Caribbean Basin Security initiative, CEBO will be rolled out in seven other member states.

Slater says he anticipates that the Government and other local partners will be inspired and committed to continue to mount CEBO workshops across the country.

In her opening remarks, Youth Officer (Ag) in the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Anastacia Harry said the workshop is geared at preparing people for a world of new opportunities.

She said, in developing a business, one needs passion, determination, discipline and know how.

“If we don’t prepare you for the future, who will become our next generation of entrepreneurs?”

Harry also told the gathering that becoming an entrepreneur does not require one to hold a Masters of Business.

“There are some simple lessons that we will teach you to help catch the entrepreneurial spirit and to become successful in business and in life,” Harry said.

She implored the aspiring business minds to set smart goals that would help to build the foundation that supports business growth.

Minister of National Mobilisation, Frederick Stephenson, who was also on hand to share brief remarks, said at a recently concluded CEBO partnership meeting, he was reminded by the Caricom Commission on Youth Development that young people are an asset and not a problem to be solved.

Stephenson challenged the participants to be creative and think regionally and internationally as they develop their initiatives.

The minister also urged the young entrepreneurs to tap into social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to assist in enhancing their businesses.

“Be ready to display your creativity and share it with the world. Youth entrepreneurial activity encourage the broadening of the country’s revenue base, thus leading to increased economic activities and growth,” Stepehenson said.

He added that through youth entrepreneurship, less pressure is placed on the labour market by young people searching for jobs, as the businesses created will provide employment for the entrepreneurs and other people.

“Take this opportunity seriously as if your life depended on it,” Stephenson beseeched.

Jamaican, Richard Berwick, CEBO facilitator will lead the programme, while CARICOM Youth Ambassadors for St Vincent and the Grenadines, Tamira Browne and Kishore Shallow will also facilitate sessions over the next few days.(KW)