Training and education will help make a difference to Barbadian entrepreneurs, many of whom are expected to help pull the island out of recession.
Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES) manager Selma Green said such would “establish the platform on which entrepreneurs can capitalise on opportunities to build significant businesses”.
She was speaking recently at the launch of UPstart Caribbean, “a new programme designed to educate and excite more Barbadians about entrepreneurship”, which including an Entrepreneurial Roadmap To Success workshop.
“Practical sessions like this entrepreneurial roadmap to success workshop will equip businesspeople with the knowledge, skills and tools to create and sustain viable businesses,” Green said.
“Entrepreneurs are perfectly positioned to make significant changes to the social and economic landscape of Barbados so every opportunity must be taken to influence an entrepreneurial culture in Barbados and that process must start with training and education.
“It is widely recognised that serious investment in entrepreneurship training will result in a greater number of persons opting to be entrepreneurial and ultimately to committing to starting businesses.”
The YES official also suggested that “entrepreneurship training must be coupled with creativity and innovation training because it through new products and services that are brought to market that diversification and economic growth will happen and personal wealth will be created”.
Scotiabank’s small business development manager, Ouida Murrell, who also spoke at the function, said her organisation had “expanded our small business management team and have been steadily working on creating more and better solutions”.
“As the economy has contracted over the past few years, businesses too have contracted and more people are decided to create their own opportunities and forge their own futures through entrepreneurship,” she said.
UPstart Caribbean founder Heather Barker said the project “is designed to educate and ultimate empower people to take greater responsibility for their lives and create their own roadmaps to success”.
(SC)
