Training Facility Established for Small Businesses

A training facility, aimed at boosting the capacity of small businesses, was handed over to the Council of Voluntary Social Services (CVSS) by the Restoring Entrepreneurial Success Through Education and Technology (RESET) Caribbean Foundation.

Establishment of the centre, located at RESET’s Brompton Road offices in New Kingston, was made possible through a US$103,000 donation under the Government of Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project.

The training provided will empower small businesses with the appropriate skills and technology that will enable them to access the resources available locally, regionally or internationally to strengthen their human resource capacity and improve internal business processes.

Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda, in his address at the handover ceremony on May 26, praised the establishment of the training facility.

He said the centre is the first of its kind in Jamaica, offering face-to-face and online training modules to entrepreneurs and small business owners.

“Make no mistake about it, this is a big step towards the empowerment of our people, enhancing economic development, and improving the environment for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) so that they can become more competitive,” Mr. Samuda noted.

He said the initiative is in keeping with the Government’s policy imperatives for MSMEs, which include creating an enabling environment for business development, and fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation.

“The MSME sector is a priority for achieving economic growth and the creation of jobs. Therefore, this project is in keeping with the Government’s overall goal of developing the capacities of the MSME sector, and improving the channels in which they participate in economic activity,” Mr. Samuda said.

Japan’s Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Masanori Nakano, noted that his country is happy to have provided the requisite funding to assist small business development in Jamaica.

“I am proud to see that the state-of-the-art facility has been built and retrofitted with the necessary resources that will provide effective training and skills development for all beneficiaries,” he said.

“I would like to restate the commitment by my Government to work with the Jamaican people in development-oriented projects and initiatives of mutual interest to our countries,” the Japanese Ambassador added.

RESET is a not-for-profit entity aimed at bolstering small entrepreneurs, businesses and community development organisations through training.