Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 04, 2021 (SKNIS): Greater training opportunities in entrepreneurship is on the horizon for residents in St. Kitts and Nevis as the government seeks to enhance pathways for interested persons to become self-employed.
The plans for such were outlined during Tuesday’s (November 02, 2021) edition of Leadership Matters by the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett, the Federal Minister responsible for Entrepreneurship. She noted that one of the partners being engaged by the government for capacity building opportunities is Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC), where training will be offered in areas such as female entrepreneurship.
“We are also partnering to be able to provide training for web development for MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) through an OAS (Organization of American States) development cooperation fund,” the minister stated. “We are also partnering with the Eastern Caribbean Green Entrepreneurship initiative. This is more so for persons in the innovative space and we are also partnering with the Ministry of Social Development through the Taiwanese-funded project: “The Economic Empowerment of Women in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
The Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Entertainment and Talent Development (MoENT) has hosted several awareness activities with creatives and innovators to update them on plans by the government to enact policies and programmes that will allow the sector to thrive. A key message for innovators and creatives is to realize that they, for the most part, are entrepreneurs or can choose to be so.
“We will continue our public awareness campaign to make sure persons understand the importance of this sector and this industry and how it can assist in the growth of our economy as well, and how this sector is not just a hobby-based sector that can really assist with our economic growth,” Minister Byron-Nisbett noted.
She cited the successful model of the St. Kitts Music Festival as well as Sugar Mas as examples of how the investment into events can generate tremendous economic spin-offs that trickle down to multiple sectors benefiting various businesses and the ordinary man and woman on the street.
The increased entrepreneurial training will complement existing programmes staged by various government agencies such as the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) as well as the Department of Youth Empowerment.
