Students from the St. Ignatius Secondary School in Region Nine have excelled in the Small Business Bureau’s (SSB) In-School Entrepreneurship Programme. SSB’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Lowell Porter said the school presented one of the best business plans since the resumption of the programme last year.
Dr. Porter along with Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin visited the school on Thursday and donated a cheque of $150,000 as part of a $300,000 grant to support the entrepreneurship programme.
“St. Ignatius was chosen as one of the top schools in the programme and that is why we have once again chosen 30 students and we are giving them $300,000 so that’s $150, O00 because we believe that the biggest thing was that this school did one of the best for the second year, the best business plan,” Dr. Porter said.
Yvette Archer, Head Teacher for the School said that since the initiation of the entrepreneurship programme there is a huge increase in the business stream.
“This year we have the largest batch of business students in our school, we would always have about six or twelve the max, we have over 30 so that in itself is showing that the children they are much more inclined to the business aspect of life,” the Head Teacher said.
She said the school did exceptionally well in the programme and many other students are receiving the benefits.
Ms Archer said, “We can only get better, but what I like about the project is that the child benefitted. Even though it’s through the school system the child is able to benefit and take their business forward.”
One of the students said the programme has motivated her to get into confectionery business, while another said her business will be making puris and other local snacks.
SBB in 2017 distributed grants to 13 schools countrywide. The programme targets students in Grades Ten and Eleven. The idea is to assist exam students with their School Based Assessment (SBA) projects and further motivate and enhance their business skills.
