More Funding Opportunity for Young Entrepreneurs

The Ministry of Youth and Culture through partnership with the Youth Desk of the CARICOM Secretariat will be hosting a five day Train the Trainer (TOT) Workshop and Bankable Business Plan sessions from July 27-31, 2015 at the Council of Voluntary Social Services in Kingston.

According to the Minister of Youth and Culture, the Honourable Lisa Hanna, the workshop will focus on the implementation of local initiatives using Creativity for Employment and Business Opportunity (CEBO) as a tool for youth engagement and development.

CEBO is an engagement tool that inspires and creates entrepreneurial interest and action for young people. The development of the tool was influenced by the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development Report, which highlighted youth unemployment as a major regional social issue that required immediate action.

In 2012, Jamaica became the first of five countries to pilot CEBO in the region when the Ministry of Youth and Culture collaborated with CARICOM to coordinate and implement a CEBO training session with 30 young people from Kingston, St Andrew and Portland.

The Minister noted that based on the required follow up activities from the pilot, 20 young persons from different government and non-government organizations have been chosen to participate in the upcoming sessions and 10 past participants from the first CEBO training will be engaged by a Consultant to develop Bankable Business Plans.

“We anticipate that following the completion of these sessions we will be able to implement further trainings with young people using the CEBO model and at least six of the participants will have completed Business Plans that will attract funding from Donor Agencies,” the Minister said.

Minister Hanna noted that in addition to receiving funding, a number of participants will benefit from the mentorship component of the workshop which will see participants of the Bankable Business Plan sessions receiving mentors who will continue to guide them even after the sessions are completed.

“The sessions are in keeping with the Ministry’s overall thrust to equip more young people with entrepreneurial training and other developmental opportunities that will strategically position them to compete on the world stage, while fostering their personal growth and development,” Minister Hanna said.