THE Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC), in collaboration with the Small Business Bureau, on Monday, awarded bursaries to two trainees of the GITC, who participated in a competition. The trainees Tariq Calmore and Jameel Jacobs received $100,000 each to establish their own businesses.

Shamane Headley, the Research and Marketing Officer of the small business bureau, in her address at the programme, which was held at the GITC’s auditorium, stated that, one of the goals of the Bureau was to ensure that the ideas, of not only the country’s youths, but every Guyanese, were heard and manifested.

“The small business bureau is no ordinary agency; our mandate speaks to supporting and promoting entrepreneurship throughout the length and breadth of Guyana, so this is not only for Georgetown or this is not only for school children; all persons who have small businesses or business ideas that they would like to bring to fruition, the small business bureau will help them make those dreams a reality,” Headley stated.
She added that the bureau intends to work closely with young entrepreneurs to ensure that their small businesses have the necessary tools through finance, training and support services.

“While fulfilling our mandate is key, we also recognize the importance of supporting small businesses at the education level and when I say that what I mean is, there are lots of children, there are lots of young adolescents who are about to leave school or are either in school that have business ideas but most times, the complaint is no one is there to support their ideas, no one is going to give them the necessary training or even the money to start those businesses,” she stated.

Hence, the small business bureau is capitalizing on that opportunity, to ensure that our youth has access to financing, to start their businesses.

The small business bureau collaborated with GITC in 2017 to implement an in-school entrepreneurial programme, which saw a two-hour training session held in every class at the centre to educate the trainees. This year the bureau launched the initiative to have trainees participate in a competition to prepare business plans.

Jameel Jacobs, one of the two recipients, who studies furniture making at GITC expressed immense gratitude towards the bureau for the support.

Jacobs added that he was very confident in the business plan he prepared for the competition and expected to win.