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| Students listen attentively. |
(CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (April 27, 2007) -- Minister of Trade and Industry and Youth the Hon. Hensley Daniel urged a group of business studies they should think of ways to apply technology to business ideas to make them more viable.
He also urged them to take advantage of opportunities which the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) would soon make available to youths on the island, who were interested in setting up their own businesses.
The students who hailed from the Charlestown, Gingerland and Lynn Jeffers Secondary Schools, met with Mr. Daniel at the Conference Room, Government House at the Bath Hotel on Wednesday April 25, 2007, as he gave them encouragement ahead of their participation of the East Caribbean Central Bank's annual Trade Fair in Basseterre on Friday April 27.
Mr. Daniel told the students since the new Administration had taken office, it had given a special amount of attention to creating entrepreneurship among young people.
Notwithstanding, he explained that the Administration would soon launch a Youth Enterprise Scheme for persons under the age of 29. He said the Administration had budgeted a half million dollars in its 2007 Budget to accommodate young people interested in business.
"We are structuring the Youth Enterprise Scheme for persons below age 30 and we are shortly going to launch it. So those of you who are keen on business that's your opportunity. Instead of looking for work you will be in the position to create work," he said.
He said at present, Nevis experienced an imbalance in the field of business, since there were only a small number of local persons who took advantage of the business opportunities available to them on the island.
According to Mr. Daniel, the Scheme when launched, will take the form of a three part programme. It would involve a two or three month period of apprenticeship with a professional in the relevant field, followed by training in basic business management skills, basic accounting and book keeping. At the end, the trainee would be provided with funding to begin their business.
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| Minister with responsible for Trade and Youth on Nevis the Hon. Hensley Daniel addressing business students at the conference room at Bath Hotel. |
Mr. Daniel told the students that their involvement in the Junior Achievers Programme provided them with an opportunity for the development of enterprise and entrepreneurship cultures which they should use as a business base.
"So if you are a historian and History is your favourite subject then you should write history books and sell them. If Chemistry is your favourite subject you must develop products from Aloes and Bee Bush and so on&
"I am happy that we have the Junior Achievement Programme so that I can see some business in you. What I want you to help us to do in government is this - if five of you decide to start your own business and two years after you need to employ four people you help me with providing work for 20 people, as opposed to leaving me alone to provide this work for 20 people," he said.
Regarding the student's participation in the upcoming Trade Fair, Mr. Daniel urged them to market their products in a manner that would appeal to potential buyers through their visual senses and to make special efforts to their products in their booths.
"When you go to St. Kitts, set up the products, get the information because people are going to know a lot about the products so the people attending the booths will have to know about the products.
~~adz:Left~~"As you go forward think business think technology; how you can apply technology to make business more meaningful and to make it more profitable nothing is wrong with that," he said.
The formal companies formed by the students under the Programme are Nova Hill Designs of the Gingerland Secondary School; Dynamic Designs of Nevis by of the Charlestown Secondary School and Visual Works of the Lynn Jeffers Secondary School.
Also present at the meeting were members of the Junior Achievers Programme Advisory Committee on Nevis Mr. Alfred Tyrell, Mrs. Lornette Queely Cornor, Mr. Patrice Wilkin and Ms. Micaiah Robinson.
