St. George’s: The Ministry of Youth is pleased to announce that Fifty one young entrepreneurs have graduated from the Grenada Development Bank facilitated Grenada Youth Enterprise Initiative (GYEI) Programme. The graduation ceremony took place at the Tropicana Inn Conference Room on Friday, June 10, 2005. The young business men and women were each part of one week intensive training courses which dealt with the various aspects of starting a business such as registering a business as well as the writing of a proper business plan and marketing strategies. Youth Coordinator Mr. Cecil Greenidge said that wherever young people gather in positive activities, it is a sign that good things are in store. He praised the members of the GDB team for facilitating the course, and for their tremendous input in ensuring that it was indeed successful. Mr. Greenidge went on to state that the programme is a means of transforming knowledge in a positive way. Mrs. Elfa Baptiste of the Grenada Development Bank gave a synopsis of the course and outlined some of the key areas dealt with as they relate to the starting up of a business. Mrs. Baptiste commended the participants on their hard work and dedication and stated that some of the areas of interest expressed by course participants were Hairdressing, Agriculture, and an Herbal Supply Shop. Two female participants also expressed interest in setting up plumbing businesses. Mrs. Elizabeth Henry Greenidge Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office commended the Grenada Development Bank in partnering with the Department of Youth to bring about this important project. Mrs. Greenidge told the graduates that the first priority of making a business successful is hard work, and asked that they progress slowly and not spend frivolously when their various businesses begin to earn money. Mr. Sherman Benjamin participant in the course thanked both the Department of Youth and the Grenada Development Bank for their assistance to the young entrepreneurs of Grenada. He stated that it was not cheap to hold the seminars and having received the course free of charge, participants should make a special effort to ensure that all they have learnt is put to good use. Mr. Benjamin also encouraged all members of the GYEI Training Course to make a special effort to ensure that the monies loaned to them are repaid in a timely manner. Project Officer in the Department of Youth, Mr. Norman Gilbert told the graduates that they have taken a step that develops not only themselves but also their country on a whole, and that they should use the knowledge gained to help build Grenada. Source: Department of Youth