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NLIS 2
May 23, 2000
(Education)

 

Guiding students to business success

Students, teachers and members of the business community gathered May 19 for the launch of a new entrepreneurship resource. Creating Businesses: Guiding Youth Towards Entrepreneurial Success is a hands-on business plan workbook designed to help students start their own businesses.

Developed by the Y-Enterprise Centre, the workbook is being used in Enterprise Education 3205 classes and by the Youth Ventures Program throughout the province. Students use the book to develop their business plan during the school year. Youth Ventures can then help them bring their plans to life, creating summer employment opportunities.

The Y Enterprise Centre assists people of all ages start businesses. The centre works with clients on a one-on-one basis towards the completion of a business plan. Through their activities, they work to cultivate entrepreneurship as a career choice. "Every year, there are more and more young people coming to the Y for advice on how to start their own businesses," said Michael Bugden, executive director of the St. John�s YMCA-YWCA, parent organization of the Y Enterprise Centre. "This workbook will build upon the natural entrepreneurial spirit that exists in this province and guide students through the business planning process."

The Youth Ventures Program is a not-for-profit organization designed to support young people who want to start summer businesses by offering them business counseling, mentoring and access to financing. "This project reinforces the importance of the business plan process in starting a business," said Henry Moores, president of the Provincial Association of Community Business Development Corporations which administrates the Youth Ventures Program. "Students will come to us already knowing the strengths of their business idea and some of the challenges they can expect to face. It is a tremendous resource for Youth Ventures participants."

The launch was held during the New Enterprise Olympics, an annual event which gives Enterprise Education students the opportunity to celebrate their creativity and business savvy. At the olympics, students demonstrate their business ideas, products and services to a panel of judges in a "real life" trade show environment. Funding for Creating Businesses and for the New Enterprise Olympics was provided by the Canada-Newfoundland Comprehensive Economic Development Agreement.

"These initiatives support the Government of Canada�s efforts to create entrepreneurial drive and curiosity in our young people," said Doug Burgess, director, public affairs and analysis, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) on behalf of George Baker, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State for ACOA. "Through this, and other programs supported by ACOA, we encourage youth to consider self-employment as a career option and make the links between the education and business worlds. Our commitment to create meaningful opportunities is evident today in the quality and ingenuity of the business ideas displayed."

"This practical learning resource builds on the strength of our current curricula and makes young people aware of the opportunities and potential of small business," said Judy Foote, Minister of Education. "The distribution network of enterprise education classes provides an excellent medium to deliver these resources and messages."

The Comprehensive Economic Development Agreement is a five-year $50.14 million federal-provincial initiative designed to complement and support existing programs. One element of the agreement supports human resource development and entrepreneurship initiatives as a means to advancing economic opportunities throughout the province. The agreement is administered federally by ACOA and provincially by the Department of Industry, Trade and Technology. The agreement contributed approximately $100,000 in funding for the initiative. As well, 10 school boards throughout the province provided in-kind support through substitute teaching days for the inservice required to train teachers on how to best use the workbook.

Media contact:

Paul Dwyer, Y-Enterprise Centre, (709) 739-9933

Doug Burgess, ACOA, (709) 772-2935

Andrea Maunder, Department of Education, (709) 729-0048

2000 05 23                                                                 10:40 a.m.


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