11 entrepreneurs for 2019 trade convention

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

Eleven Tobago entrepreneurs will exhibit at the 2019 edition Trade and Investment Convention (TIC) in one month’s time.

Addressing Thursday’s post Executive Council media briefing at the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex in Scarborough, Secretary of Finance and the Economy Joel Jack make the revelation while providing the media updates on the division.

According to Jack, the Division of Finance and the Economy is leading the way as it seeks to prepare the entrepreneurs to realise their potential and achieve measurable success.

He said, “This is the 20th hosting of the TIC, as its usually called, and I am pleased that some of our businesses here in Tobago will have the opportunity to interact with buyers, potential suppliers and retail customers from across the world over a four-day period from July 4-7 at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya, Trinidad.

“The Division of Finance and the Economy is pleased to add another chapter to the partnership with the TT Manufacturers Association, which predates back to 2006 by staging our largest presentation of Tobago’s goods and services in what would be essentially… can be best described as a Tobago road show.”

Jack said there would be a section at the event to exhibit Tobago’s products and services.

Among the 11 entrepreneurs, there will be four first-time participants: Stacy Herbert of Homemade Tobago Indigenous Wines; Sherla George of Organic and Natural Beauty Products; Donna LaRoche of LaRoche Unique Designs and Margaret Yeates of Yeates Herbal Teas.

He also made mention of the Youth Energised for Success (YES) summer internship programme from June 24 to August 16.

“The two-month internship programme is designed to provide experience and professional training to Tobago’s young adults and our students – first degree or masters students as well as Form Five students. They normally participate in this YES programme I believe we are oversubscribed and this programme is geared towards the development of our young people as we seek to fulfil our mandate, as we prepare our young people to assume the mantle of responsibility to manage the affairs of this island in the future.”

This year's internship will be focused on entrepreneurship and innovation, critical thinking, leadership training and service excellence, as well as volunteerism, cultural history and appreciation.

The Finance Secretary also provided an update from the recently concluded Credit Union Leadership Conference 2019, held in Suriname, where he represented the Assembly along with two co-operative officers in the Division to learn more about credit union successes and challenges.

“The programme included interactive sessions, workshops, panel discussions, presentations, and case studies,” Jack said, to facilitate a deeper understanding of credit unions, as well as to achieve “highly effective and successful management and leadership outcomes across the sector.”

“I believe this conference was important given the competitive nature of the financial services sector, the changing nature of the credit unions and co-operatives on the island, and the need for continued alignment of the island’s co-operative sector with international best practices.”

The conference was hosted by the Co-operative Credit Union League from May 30-June 2.