Skills boost for Guyanese youth entrepreneurs

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:00 by GxMedia

A number of Guyanese youth interested in starting their own businesses will soon be benefitting from entrepreneurial workshops and seminars hosted through the regional Creativity for Employment and Business Opportunity (CEBO), according to the Caricom Secretariat.

The programme will start with a training of trainers workshop Monday October 21- Thursday October 24.

The four day youth-focused seminar, which will be held at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat Annex building in Georgetown, will begin with a ceremony at 10 a.m.

The CEBO training forms part of a regional project developed by the CARICOM Secretariat, to engage, motivate and inspire entrepreneurial interest and action among youth 15 to 29 years old. It emphasises creativity and teamwork and is delivered through hands-on, interactive youth-friendly methodologies.

Participants at the seminar on Monday will be introduced to the CEBO Facilitators and Participants Manuals and to topics such as `Youth Entrepreneurship in the Caribbean’ and `Grasping Opportunities under the CSME’. They will also be provided with information on topics that will equip them to create and sustain business ventures and opportunities.

Deputy Programme Manager for Youth Development at the CARICOM Secretariat Yldiz Pollack- Beighle said the participants will be drawn from Guyana’s Administrative Regions 3, 4 and 5, and after this workshop, they will be expected to train other young persons.

Pollack- Beighle said “it is hoped that at the end, participants will learn creative avenues through which they can sustain their livelihoods and share the knowledge with other young persons in their communities which can ultimately develop their entrepreneurial skills and the start of businesses.”     

CEBO training workshops and pilot projects have been implemented in five Caribbean countries so far including Jamaica, Belize, St. Kitts & Nevis, Dominica and The Bahamas. CEBO was developed by the CARICOM Secretariat with input from Regional stakeholders and is funded by several agencies, development partners and governments.

This initiative in Guyana is funded by the UNDP and will be executed by the CARICOM Secretariat in collaboration with the Government of Guyana. The CEBO training workshop will be November 11-16, 2013.