Go for IT, youth urged

Tue, August 24, 2010 - 8:04 PM

GRADUATING STUDENTS of an entrepreneurship and technology programme run by the Community Development Department have been encouraged to seize the opportunities offered to their generation.

The advice came from Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry responsible for Community Development and Culture, Celia Toppin, and from Alex McDonald, country manager for LIME

Barbados, sponsors of the Information Technology Summer Teens Programme.

The programme provided training in business development and technology, including development of websites and using various technology tools to create business projects.

Toppin told the graduates that the possibilities for their generation were endless.

“It is absolutely fascinating that you can now sit in Barbados and do a job for a company that is based in Japan,” she said.

She cautioned the students to strive to achieve a level of responsibility and maturity, “so that you can put this knowledge to good and positive use”.

McDonald noted the investment being made in the development of the students, whom he described as “the best we have”.

He advised the graduands to take advantage of the training and thanked the Community Development Department for affording LIME the opportunity to sponsor “a very important programme”.

Gavin Hope, who attended the St Christopher Resource Centre, won the Most Outstanding Student award, which included a laptop from LIME, or a project about a fictitious company, Tender Touch Spa.

Group project

The prize for the Best Overall Group Project was won by a team from the Speightstown Resource Centre, comprising Trevena Clarke, Davida Codrington, Rochelle Holder, Jason Rudder, Matthew Walkes, Andrew Wood, and Kayla Phillips-Small. Their project was on a company which sold women’s garments.

There were also Special Mention awards for Chad James of Grazettes Resource Centre and Shalisa Trotman of the Rices Resource Centre. (PR)