By Jared Liddell

SCHOOL of the nations has introduced an KidsMBA programme that will commence from December 17, 2019. The course is geared toward providing children between the ages of 11 and 15 with training and knowledge on business and entrepreneurial studies. The course is scheduled to run for four months after which the children will receive a personalised and numbered (Association of Business Executives) ABE Endorsed KidsMBA Certificate of Achievement.

Director of the School of the Nations, Dr. Brian O’Toole, spoke of the idea behind the introduction of the programme, explaining that the decision was made because it was observed that many children could be given the opportunity to grow in the business world, if they were exposed to simplified business principles from a younger age.
Dr. OToole further explained that this would be the first KidsMBA programme to be implemented in the Caribbean.

“We are excited about this programme; it’s just been launched now around the world by ABE. They have just started this programme and the response that they have had already is really exciting. I believe we are going to get a lot of people to do it,” Dr. O’Toole said.
Principal of the primary division of the School of the Nations and head of the kidsMBA programme, Mischka White, speaking on the programme explained that, “The kidsMBA programme is designed to teach the children how to sustain life through business. Whether they want to become entrepreneurs or not they need the skills to manage their finances, to think strategically, and these skills that they will learn would apply to their lives even if their career path is not entrepreneurship. So the kidsMBA is an actual MBA because they look at ideas, pricing, marketing all the way down to how to pitch ideas to investors. Substantial material is used but simplified so that children from the age of eight can understand, so these are the age groups that we are targeting for this.”

Further she related that throughout the programme the children will create business ideas, and will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to investors who will give them the opportunity to actually turn some of those ideas into businesses; which they will run themselves or even sell their business ideas to someone else to run.

The kidsMBA programme is certified by the Association of Business Executives (ABE, UK) an internationally-recognised not-for-profit awarding organisation particularly renowned for high-quality business and management skills development.

Some of the business areas that the programme would focus on are: Business Ideas and Unique Selling Proposition (USP); Business Name and Logo; Copyright and Patents; Pricing; Marketing and Sales; Customer Service; Communication and Networking; Business Structures; Business Finance; Contracts and Legal Obligations; Operational Plan and Personnel; Budgeting; Bookkeeping and Tax; Business Plan and Financials; Leadership and Corporate Responsibility and Pitching to Investors.