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Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Professor V. Eudine Barriteau (left), and Senator Lisa Cummins, Executive Director of Lumin Consulting Inc sign MOU to govern the delivery of short courses and certificate programmes over the next five years.

UWI entrepreneurship push

The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus has entered a partnership to provide entrepreneurs with relevant training critical to the effective execution of their entrepreneurial ventures.

Yesterday, the Centre for Professional Development and Life-long Learning (CPDLL) and Lumin Consulting Inc., signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to govern the delivery of short courses and certificate programmes over the next five years.

Under the agreement, the CPDLL will house, administer and market online, face-to-face, and blended short courses and certificate programmes in entrepreneurship and innovation developed by the Lumin Consulting Inc. coordinated PitchIT Caribbean programme.

The project falls under a US $1.5 million grant from the Government of Canada and under execution by INFODEV/WORLD Bank, targeting the 14 English-speaking CARICOM islands.

According to Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Professor V. Eudine Barriteau, The UWI is pleased to provide another avenue to assist in unlocking the potential of Caribbean entrepreneurs, through providing opportunities to enhance their skills or learn new ones.

Courses identified for immediate roll-out are: The Lean Start-Up for the Caribbean; Investor Readiness for Caribbean Entrepreneurs; and Entrepreneurial Finance.

“Together, these account for the most immediate needs of a new business owner who is ready to take his or her product or service to market,” she pointed out.

“While much uncertainty looms in this economic climate, there is still great opportunity for growth, which we need to nurture. Along with this initiative, the Student Entrepreneurial Empowerment Development (SEED), housed in the Department of Management Studies, is also in the process of establishing a Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) on the campus. This will serve in the effort to streamline technical and managerial assistance to small businesses, especially those borne out of retrenchment”.

Executive Director of Lumin Consulting Inc. Senator Lisa Cummins revealed that between 2016 and 2018, the project engaged over 500 entrepreneurs from across the region.

She further identified “We know that there are a number of small business development programs and entrepreneurial programs but, we have a responsibility to treat to this concept of innovative entrepreneurship based on the way in which PitchIT Caribbean was originally designed and funded by the Government of Canada and implemented by the World Bank Group, thereafter by The UWI through Lumin Consulting.”

With hubs already established in Dominica, St Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica, “these five have been established with partners and we are working continuously with those partners to ensure that we roll out innovative programs. When we developed the program initially it focused on Mobile Innovation. We have agreed with the World Bank that would focus on the broader concept of technology and not specific to Mobile Innovation”.

“Therefore, we all hoping that all of faculties, departments, institutes and centres across The UWI community will be able to add the element of innovation through incorporation of those courses, through access to the partnerships that we are building in PitchIT Caribbbean, so that we are able to add new knowledge,” she said. (TL)

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