About EIA Youth Programme

The Enterprise In Action Youth Programme is an initiative of the Small Business Association of Barbados (SBA) designed to orient students with the key tenants or entrepreneurship, to facilitate the creation of an entrepreneur mindset to contribute to the social and economic development of Barbados.   Entrepreneurship refers to an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action. It includes creativity, innovation and risk taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve organisational objectives. These principles are taught to participating students in a manner that will help young persons better manage their day-to-day life at home, school and in the society. Students will also become more knowledgeable employees who are more aware of the context of their work, causing them to be better able to seize opportunities in the workplace.

Goals

The strategic goals of the EIA Youth programme are: -

  1. To firmly include the study of entrepreneurship within the educational process in Barbados
  2. To influence young persons to be entrepreneurial thus creating the next generation of strategic thinkers, innovators and opportunity seekers
  3. To widen the horizon of potential business leaders and increase the number of business start-ups among young persons

Target Group

The programme is designed for students in the 4th and 5th form at secondary schools, between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years. One primary school, which was adopted by the association, is included in the programme and includes the class four pupils.

Objectives

Through the EIA, the SBA desires to assist the overall national economic and social development of Barbados through the

  • reduction in unemployment among young people
  • reduction in poverty and social ills
  • increase national productivity
  • facilitation of an entrepreneurial culture where young people have leadership skills, are creative and innovative to function in a globalised market.

Recognising the opportunity:

  • The association recognises the opportunity to create and promote a greater awareness of the benefits of entrepreneurship, in a manner that attracts more young people to start businesses and stimulate greater entrepreneurial activity within educational institutions.

Creating the enterprise:

  • The association works to empower young persons with the knowledge, skills and experiences that will enable them to set up competitive enterprise and/or to improve the overall output from industry

Going for growth:

  • To association will seek to increase the overall number of small and medium enterprises in Barbados through the EIA Youth programme

Student Benefits

In addition to the programme in schools, participating students in the EIA Youth Programme also benefit individually from the following activities:

  • Inclusion in the Small Business Assocation’s youth network
  • Internship within member-firms and among partners across various industries
  • Participation in ongoing discussion forums on youth development and current affairs issues
  • Building of character, values and life skills
  • Access to a variety of discounts on goods and servcies from indusrty partners through the EIA Student Card

Programme Structure

The programme is structured to be implemented over one academic year – from September to August annually and is divided into four components as outlined below:

COMPONENT DESCRIPTION PERIOD
1 Theoretical training in business start-up Term 1
2 Development of business cases/projects conceptualised during component 1 Terms 1&2
3 Student Symposium for programme participants to report on the performance of their business project Term 3
4 Summer Internship/Job Attachment Summer