Economic Opportunities Workshop for Residents of St. Thomas

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, has announced the staging of an Economic Opportunities workshop, particularly for the residents of St. Thomas.

The Minister was speaking at the unveiling ceremony for Jamaica’s third and final gateway sign to the island’s first World Heritage Site, the Blue and John Crow Mountains, on June 8 at Port Morant Square, St. Thomas.

The workshop, to be held in the second quarter of the financial year, will be hosted in partnership with Young Enterprise Scotland (YES), an organisation out of Edinburgh, Scotland, which provides assistance for enterprise and entrepreneurship programmes and development opportunities to communities, such as Port Morant.

“YES has agreed to work with the Ministry on the Blue and John Crow Mountains Economic Opportunities Workshop, to make their training module available so participants of the workshop will be able to exploit opportunities that will become available through the Blue and John Crow Mountains World Heritage Site,” the Minister said.

Miss Grange said that 20 will be specially invited from St. Thomas to participate in the workshop.

“These individuals must have started a little business or have a viable proposal for a business that can take advantage of the cultural resources and the opportunities within St. Thomas. We are excited about exposing our entrepreneurs living around the boundaries of our World Heritage Site to develop viable cultural and creative enterprises,” she said.

One area the Ministry is particularly keen on promoting is gastronomy (food preparation).

Miss Grange said she is well aware of the many food creations of the parish that would be a treat to visitors, both local and foreign.

The Minister said gastronomy is a very promising market and there is no reason the parish should not be making its contribution in the cultural and creative industries and reaping rewards.

Miss Grange said she wants to ensure that St. Thomas, with its own creative and cultural flair in food preparation, has a chance to enjoy its fair share of the tourism pie.