‘Be Your Own Boss’ sees 22 Graduating from entrepreneur training programme

GUYANA, GINA, Friday, February 10, 2017

Twenty two youths today graduated from a two week ‘Be Your Own Boss’ (BYOB) entrepreneurship training programme. The programme is in collaboration with the Ministry of Communities, the Caribbean Local Economic Development Project (CARILED) and the Specialist and Sustained Youth Development and Research Incorporated (SSYDR).

The graduation ceremony was held at the Guyana Police Force Training Centre, Camp Road, Georgetown. Participants of the training programme were drawn from Neighbourhood Democratic Councils across Region Four. These include Soesdyke, Mocha Arcadia and Plaisance.

The two phased programme aimed at equipping youths with the skills needed to become successful business owners included entrepreneurship training and a grant component to fund successful proposals, prepared by the youths.

Participants from the training programme shared how they benefitted from the training they received. April Pearson of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara stated that, “I cannot begin to explain how this programme has impacted my life. I have learned so much for example, how to calculate profit in my business, how to do record keeping and also the benefits of record keeping, also how to separate my business expense from personal expense… I certainly will use the many lessons learnt to build my own business”.

Vasita Basnauth from Soesdyke, East Bank, Demerara noted that, “As a participant of the recently concluded be your own boss training, I can say this has prepared me to identify, access and nurture, the right characteristics, skills and attitude needed to be a successful business owner”.

Minister within the Ministry of Communities Valerie Sharpe-Patterson delivering the feature address congratulated the participants for successfully completing the BYOB training programme. However, the Minister stressed the importance of a work plan if the graduates wanted to become successful business owners. Minister Sharpe-Patterson explained that “if you do not plan well and you fail to plan, then you plan to fail”.

According to the Minister, some of the keys to having a successful business include discipline, innovation, self-motivation, integrity, networking and accountability.

Additionally the Minister urged the youths to use the skills acquired to become employees and not employers. “In life there are three types of persons, those who sit and watch things happen, those who ask what just happened? And the ones who make things happen… be the ones who make things happen” the Minister urged. The youths were also encouraged to continue to build their capacity.

Counselor Developing  Co-operations of the Canadian High Commission Jan Sheltinga said the Government of Canada is very pleased to support such youth entrepreneurship activities. Sheltinga noted that she was heartened by the progress made by the youths in just two weeks. She charged the youths to put into practice what they have learnt.

The youths were encouraged also by Sheltinga to “work towards the advancement of yourself, community and by extension, to the nation.”

National Country Coordinator, Guyana for CARILED Roger Rogers explained that the programme gave the youths the opportunity to “acquire skills that are designed to put at your fingertips particular capacity in terms of starting your business and ensuring that you do things that will allow that business to become sustainable”.

The graduates received their certificates of participation for the two weeks of training and will be participating in the second phase of the  ‘Be Your Own Boss’ training from Monday February 13.

 

By: Isaiah Braithwaite