$1.5M Youth Entrepreneurship Programme being rolled out in secondary schools

More young Guyanese are being afforded the opportunity to partake in Guyana’s business sector, with the expansion of the Youth Entrepreneurship Programme being launched in secondary schools nationwide.

This year, the Small Business Bureau (SBB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education will be rolling out the programme to 15 schools countrywide at the Grade Ten level.

The enrollment exercise, which commenced in March has already been launched at eight learning institutions, including Kwakwani, Annai, St. Ignatius and Aishalton Secondary Schools.

It is aimed at helping students to develop an entrepreneurial attitude and to get them to effectively participate in the business world.

The students are being guided on how to create business plans and most importantly, will have the opportunity to receive assistance from the SBB to start-up their businesses.

The programme is a stepping stone for them to achieve their entrepreneurial goals.

During an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) Thursday, SBB’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shazim Ibrahim said the initiative was introduced in schools due to the need for the development of entrepreneurship skills.

“We see the need for entrepreneurship in young people and that’s how we came up with the idea to do the programme with grade 10 students…so that they can start thinking about entrepreneurship. And so, with that, we collaborated with the Ministry of Education.”

Ibrahim explained that the programme is reaching Grade 10 students and having a positive impact on their attitudes.

“We are only choosing two projects from each school to fund. The teachers of the schools will mark the business plan put together by the students and submit only six to us,” the CEO added.

He explained that when the two projects from the schools are chosen, they will be funded in two phases.

The first phase will consist of half of the total fund being given to the students, while the other half will be given when works commence on the projects.

Ibrahim also said a total of $1.5 million was budgeted by the SBB to help initiate these business projects. The programme will be rolled out to more schools subsequently.