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NLIS 25 May 23, 2002 (Industry, Trade and Rural Development) Students to showcase their business savvy at Enterprise Olympics From May 23-26, approximately 100 high school students will converge in Marystown to compete with their peers during the 8thprovincial Enterprise Olympics Conference. Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Kelvin Parsons, Minister of Industry, Trade and Rural Development, have announced $119,620 in funding to support the Enterprise Olympics program, which includes various initiatives throughout the year, as well as the year-end provincial conference. "Small and medium-sized businesses make significant contributions to our economy by creating new job opportunities and economic spin-offs in regions across the province. The Government of Canada is pleased to partner with the provincial government and the Y Enterprise Centre to support activities like the Enterprise Olympics, which introduce entrepreneurship to youth and provide exciting opportunities for them to showcase what they�ve learned," said Minister Byrne. The Enterprise Olympics Conference is one of the many entrepreneurial activities under the Enterprise Olympic program, which is delivered by the St. John�s YMCA-YWCA Enterprise Centre and the Department of Education The Enterprise Olympics project is a multi-layered, year-long initiative encompassing a Business Plan Competition, the Enterprise Showcase, Market Your Thoughts, Create-A-Logo, Enterprise Teacher Support and the provincial year-end entrepreneurship conference for high school students. "Our Renewal Strategy for Jobs and Growth focuses on the importance of entrepreneurship to our economy, while highlighting the need to develop new opportunities for young people. The Enterprise Olympics brings together both of these elements by encouraging young people to become more enterprising and creating a fun atmosphere for learning," said Minister Parsons. During the conference in Marystown, 50 young people will be participating in the Enterprise Showcase and 50 will take part in the Business Plan Competition. The Enterprise Showcase simulates real life trade shows to encourage students to be more enterprising by recognizing and displaying their entrepreneurial achievements. Through the Business Plan Competition, students present and defend their business plans to an evaluation team of community and business leaders. "The reason the centre continues to play a part in the education arena is the belief that the subject area of enterprise is one of the most important long term marketing tools that we have at our disposal in growing the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador," said Gary Ryan, executive director, St. John's YMCA-YWCA Enterprise Centre. "This initiative helps to instil entrepreneurial thinking in junior, high school and even elementary school students and encourages youth to consider starting their own businesses." This initiative is being funded under the Canada/Newfoundland and Labrador Comprehensive Economic Development Agreement, a six-year, $94.99 million initiative designed to complement existing federal and provincial programs and agreements. It is administered federally by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and provincially by the Department of Industry, Trade and Rural Development. Media contact:
2002 05 23 5:05 p.m. |
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