The Tribune

THE Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture in partnership with CARICOM hosted the opening of the second annual Creativity for Employment and Business Opportunity.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Danny Johnson, who addressed participants during the opening, challenged all present with an unexpected concept – the development of 100 millionaires between the ages of 18 and 25.

He said creating so many young wealthy people in the region will shift the economic balance towards true regional self reliance.

“The government,” he said, “provides access and opportunity through the CEBO initiative, therefore, youth are given the tools necessary for self reliance.”

The CEBO programme was developed in 2012 by a broad regional technical workshop group appointed by the CARICOM Secretariat to address the psychological, social and entrepreneurial development issues of young people.

As part of this effort, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture personnel and CARICOM representatives are conducting a local workshop with 24 participants. It will end on Saturday, January 16.

The public is invited to view the products created by the participants of the programme on Friday, January 25 in Rawson Square between 2pm and 6pm.

The workshop is the first in a series of CEBO opportunities that will be available through the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.

Upon completion of the workshop, participants will have formed simulated companies, developed basic business plans, created marketing schemes, produced and developed products/services and shared in the profits.

As the result of the intensive programme, participants will have established leisure and business networks both locally and regionally, organisers said.

A statement from the ministry said the urgency for economic development to assist the alleviation of unemployment among young people is critical given world statistics.

According to CARICOM, empirical evidence suggests that around 74 million people worldwide between the ages of 15 and 24 are unemployed.