Creating business opportunities for women and youth
– ‘We believe that women can play an important role just as equal as men’
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, January 23, 2020
The Critchlow Labour College (CLC) has begun a strengthening micro-entrepreneurship programme for disadvantaged women and youth in the informal business sector of Region 4.
The Mitsubishi Corporation is funding the $8Million one-year programme.
At Thursday’s orientation Principal Dr. Ivor English said the programme would focus on financial and business management, behavioural changes, and business management free of charge.
“We’re expecting that the students will have a general understanding with respect to the rudiments of setting up a small business. It’s training specifically in entrepreneurship,” he explained.
The first six months would include training and classes, while the second half will look at business practices. Fifty students are currently enrolled and plans are on stream to expand the programme to accommodate 150 students based on the availability of resources.
“We want people to develop skills that could help them successfully develop a business and make it operational,” Dr. English added.
He encouraged more women and youths to take advantage of the initiative.
President of Mitsubishi Corporation Caribbean branch, Yohei Sasagawa noted that the strengthening micro-entrepreneurship project would promote Guyana’s development through capacity building.
“Our goal is to enhance the skills and increase productivity and future income of about 5o underserved women and youths in informal sector Region 4.”
One of the participants, Makeda Hohenkirk, a cosmetologist for 10 years, described the orientation as informative.
“It’s going to do a lot for disadvantaged women and young people [and] it will impact the Region 4 community. We expect to be more developed in business and to manage finances better [at the end of the program].”
Another student and business owner, Bruce Lee, opined that the programme would develop his business skills and financial management. “I think it’s a very great initiative because it will help a lot of youths in business that want to better themselves.” Lee and his mother co-own a snackette in Mahaicony.
This is the second collaboration between the CLC and the Mitsubishi Corporation. The first partnership in 2018 saw the enhancement of education through access to computers.
Looking beyond 2020, the strengthening micro-entrepreneurship for disadvantaged women and youth in Region 4 project will be added to the Critchlow Labour College’s curriculum.