Young entrepreneurs show keen interest in business talks

Young and budding entrepreneurs from secondary schools throughout the country participated actively in the Venturepoint Business Conference held recently at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Centre. The involvement and participation by young people is seen by the Venture Capital Incentive Programme (VCIP) as one of the many initiatives to inculcate an entrepreneurial culture within the educational system. In keeping with the Government’s “Vision 2020,” the VCIP has identified youth as a main target, given the programme’s belief that education is key in the transformation process.

Branded as the premier event of the VCIP and the fifth to be hosted, “Venturepoint” acts as a stimulus for interactive deliberation on issues which impact entrepreneurial development within the region. Over 80 participants from within Caricom states and North America engaged in dialogue, which will be used as input for policy-making processes. Judith Mark, VCIP administrator, stated in her opening remarks at the conference that sooner than later the concept of entrepreneurial development would dominate the global environment by becoming the stated culture. “As a region,” she said, “we must be fully prepared to address and deal with any challenges which confront us.” It was against this background that the discussions were held and presentations articulated. In his feature address, Trade and Industry Minister, Kenneth Valley, noted that Caribbean entrepreneurship must consider a necessity the opportunities available, not only within the Caribbean Single Market and Economy but more so within the overall context of the impending FTAA.