St Leonard’s Boys exposed to the business world

by Marlon Maddden

One secondary school in Barbados is reporting tremendous success in the promotion of entrepreneurship among its student population.

Principal of the St Leonard’s Boys School Stephen Scott said he was satisfied with the reception of the entrepreneurship programme so far, and he said it was his intention to continue to encourage more young men to become entrepreneurs.

He made the comments during a recent award and graduation ceremony for students of the St Leonard’s Boys Secondary School who participated in the Barbados Entrepreneurship Foundation’s
$20 Challenge.

Commending the young men for being able to “balance their businesses along with their studies”, Scott said he was encouraged by the students being able to see entrepreneurship as a viable way to earn a living.

“At the school we want to ensure that we have centres of excellence in several areas and one of them is in business and entrepreneurship,” he said.

“In fact, our highest grades at the CAPE level last year (2021) were in entrepreneurship, and therefore we are taking that onboard to have centres of excellence in that area, in entrepreneurship and we want to make sure that we place that throughout our school to encourage our young men to see that entrepreneurship is a viable means of employment,” said Scott.

Meanwhile, Minister of State in the Ministry of Energy and Business Development Sandra Husbands pledged continued government support for the build out of entrepreneurial environment that was fair.

Husbands said she will ensure that entrepreneurship “is not merely given lip service but is experienced by the youth and the adult populace alike, as a means of survival, development, and an avenue to promote intergenerational wealth creation”.

“We are committed to that. We are committed to changing this landscape so that this landscape is more inclusive, that more people get opportunity to participate in the economic benefits of this country and to be able to plant a future knowing that you have the necessary support, that the systems work well, and that the systems are fair and efficient,” said Husbands.

She noted that in creating opportunities for the youth, efforts should be underpinned by an understanding that life will not be the same as it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore the methods of engagement must change with the times.

“We owe that to you, to change our methods so that we are more effective in helping you to manage and govern your lives in more difficult set of circumstances,” she said.

“I am of the very strong view that if meaningful youth development is to occur within a post
COVID-19 environment there must be a progressive youth development agenda at its core which integrates creative skill building and innovative thought enquiry to challenge our young people to reach beyond the familiar and build critical life learning and life changing skills,” said Husbands.

Noting that the $20 Challenge would prepare the boys for life beyond school, Husbands said the skills it provided would be critical to help them navigate some of the challenges that lie ahead in business.

She also indicated that if the island’s schools are to be “relevant producers of the next generation of life changing entrepreneurs” then there needed to be a change in mindset at all levels. She encouraged Barbadians to see entrepreneurship as a viable option to traditional employment.

“Critical and foremost in this regard must be to encourage a national shift towards the importance of shaping our own destiny, to rethink the notion that foreign is always best, to consider the benefits of cooperative approach to business facilitation and to leverage the expertise networking capability and willingness of the diaspora to give back to the national cause,” said Husbands.

She also called on residents to “speak with your pockets” by supporting more locally produced items.
Of the six teams that entered the competition, Tyrese Hall and Kazarie Hamblin of PVC Creations walked away the winners.

The company Elite Teez was placed second, and Fusion Bakery was placed third. Several special
awards were also presented to various teams. Participants described the challenge as educational
and life changing.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb