The Dominica Agricultural Industrial and Development Bank (AID Bank) has launched its Hubert Nicholas Joseph Scholarship for Entrepreneurship.
The scholarship was launched at the bank’s 23rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Fort Young Hotel on Wednesday.
The scholarship is for one student to pursue a two-year Associate Degree in Entrepreneurship at the Dominica State College (DSC) for the academic period commencing September 2016 and forms part of the AID Bank’s corporate responsibility.
It will cover tuition, learning materials including a computer, a stipend towards transportation and incidentals.
Director of the board at the AID Bank, Simpson Gregoire, said the institution continues to enhance its role and visibility as a good corporate citizen in Dominica, by supporting causes considered important to the development of the country.
“Dominica’s Growth and Social Protection Strategy (GSPS 2012-2014) indicates that an increased level of activity in agriculture and other productive sectors is necessary for achieving our economic growth target,” Gregoire stated, noting that the response to the age old question of whether entrepreneurship can be taught, is ‘yes.’
“While entrepreneurs cannot be created, budding entrepreneurs can be given tools and information to help them create successful business ventures and hopefully to avoid some of the common pitfalls in the process,” he stated.
Gregoire commended the DSC for introducing the important subject of entrepreneurship in its curriculum.
He said the bank’s own experience over the years has confirmed the need for an increase in entrepreneurial training and development.
“Becoming an entrepreneur is a career decision like any other,” he noted. “In offering this scholarship we are encouraging young persons to do their homework, critically examine whether this is the path for them, and if it is, then to arm themselves with an education that will help them to succeed.”
He said applicants must be resident nationals of Dominica and must meet the minimum educational requirement.
In order to maintain the scholarship, students must pass all courses and maintain a grade point average of 2.475 or higher.
Applicants must submit an acceptance letter from the DSC for the programme along with a transcript from a Secondary School or any other higher learning institution attended with his or her application.
They must demonstrate a clear indication or commitment to work in Dominica after completion of their studies, must be of a replicable character and must submit four references, one from a previous faculty member who is very familiar with the applicant.
He warned that no late applications will be accepted and application forms can be found on the bank’s website at www.aidbank.com or available at the bank’s office in Goodwill.
Joseph, who is now deceased, was a businessman by profession and was appointed to the AID Bank Board of Directors from March 2002 until his death in August 2015.
He also served on sub-committees of the Board namely: the Industrial Estate Committee and the Risk and Asset Liability/Human Resource Committee.
A retired civil servant and as a businessman Joseph co-owned and co-managed with his wife, Flossie Joseph & Co. Ltd, located on Old Street, Roseau.
The bank also announced the second Elford Henry Scholarship for Agriculture for the September 2016 academic period at the DSC.
It is good to honor locals who owned business and led the way in enterprise. Such enterprise can allow us more creativity and independence away from the hand-out mentality that is crippling Dominica. AID Bank would do well to do a documentary on the life of local business owners so our young can be inspired to educate themselves, give service to others and work for their bread by the sweat of their brow. The gimme mentality and a poor set of values by those high and low has made our society a breeding ground for crime.
It is good that Mr Gregoire is leading this charge. He is a good man who never forgot his country. We know him as Sizo, son of the World War II soldier. And a great mother. A good family man of uprightness. Bless him and those at AID Bank who try.
It appears we are aiming for mediocrity when a scholarship recipient is being asked to maintain a GPA of 2.475 to get or keep a scholarship. The standard needs to be higher.
Please be objective during selection. one point I think 4 references is a lot.
I know your work Mr Corbett. Great Job creating this scholarship programme again..
You created the same scholarship programme at NDB in the past.