Basseterre, St. Kitts (October 18, 2004): The skills of entrepreneurship and youth involvement are being stressed at a five-day workshop taking place at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).
The idea, conceived by "The Young Americas Business Trust" in Washington D.C., strives to encourage youth participation in business ownership. The workshop is part of a project called Business Lab the methodology of which was developed in Haifa, Israel at the School of International Management Training. The concept was introduced to the region in Trinidad and has since been instituted into the schools’ curriculum.
Project coordinator Joshua Mike revealed that it is an integral hands on training programme which teaches the basics of business education and entrepreneurial skills to young people. He explained that the session at the ECCB is a training of trainers workshop which will introduce participants to the methodology of business lab and encourage them to impart these lessons to others in the community.
The project aims to reduce youth unemployment and underemployment. Its implementation in St. Kitts and Nevis has been welcomed by the Federal Government and key stakeholders in the society.
In an address to mark the start of the workshop on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister with responsibility for Labour, CARICOM Affairs and International Trade Hon. Sam Condor described the project goals as "admirable."
"This project is a complement to government’s policies of improving the welfare of all (citizens), increasing employment, eradicating poverty and surviving the challenges of globalisation," he said. "The changing face of international business demands that our people learn new ways of doing business with the rest of the world. We therefore recognise and appreciate the significance and potential of the business lab project for the part that it can play in charting a new direction."
The deputy prime minister added that this exercise is a bold and necessary step and implored the participants, who are drawn from El Salvador, Suriname, Barbados and St. Martin and host country St. Kitts and Nevis, to seize the opportunities offered by this class.
"The small business sector is vital to the economic activity of any country," he stressed, adding that it stimulates innovation and creativity, and generates employment growth. "It is time for our young people to think of self employment. The young are often full of ideas, dreams and aspirations (and) this project will show them the way ... to change their dreams into reality with the help of those institutions in the (community) that have been created to help such ventures."
This sentiment was echoed by the Permanent Secretary of Youth Lloyd Lazar who addressed the gathering on behalf of Minister Hon. Jacinth Henry-Martin, who was in attendance, but was unable to make her presentation due to an ongoing bout with the flu.
The Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sport played an integral part in implementing the The Young Americas Business Trust project along with the Organisation of American States (OAS), and the United States Peace Corps.
The programme concludes on Friday, October 27. Participants, however will be able to tap the expertise of officials to assist the formation and growth of their company.
