Jahisiah Benoit suggests business incubator for youth employment

Benoit addressing the SIDS meeting in Barbados
Jahisiah Benoit addressing the SIDS meeting in Barbados

President of the National Youth Council, Jahisiah Benoit, has suggested a youth-managed business incubator in Dominica as a means of creating employment for the country’s young people.

“With respect to education, employment and entrepreneurship, we really want to voice a strong call, for the establishment of a business incubator in Dominica,” Benoit said in an interview with DNO.

“We believe that there needs to be a youth managed business incubator that can help us to view education, not just from the stand point of just seeking a job, but from creating jobs for ourselves and our peers,” he noted.

Benoit has just returned to Dominica from an Inter-Regional preparatory meeting of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) where he was one of two Caribbean delegates.

He said that was one of the concrete recommendations made during his speech at the meeting was to establish ICT innovation centers for young people.

This, he argued, would give them in ICT, ‘and then given an enabling environment so that they can go to idea to implementation.’

“This will give them some chances to put forth their ideas, construct them into prototype, and then hopefully a few of them may take off the ground,” he noted.

Benoit stated that he envisions a hands on approach when it comes to youth and technology in the region. “That’s the type of approach we want, to take a more hands on approach as opposed to just introducing technologies from abroad in the Caribbean”, he stated.

The meeting ran from August 26th -28th.

Benoit and Rochelle Lashley of Barbados were the two chosen as Caribbean youth delegates.

The key objectives of the meeting include presentation of the outcomes of the Three SIDS Regional Meetings in Preparation for the 3rd UN Conference on SIDS in Samoa in 2014.

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15 Comments

  1. Anonymous
    September 2, 2013

    Benoit has always been very passionate in regards to youth development. It is of genuine concern to him. Very proud of my ex-classmate. Hope to see his words turn into actions in the near future.

  2. NEGRE BORD LA MER
    September 2, 2013

    Ok Jahisiah,
    Nice job. Keep it up.Good idea, too

  3. WE VOTING UWP
    September 1, 2013

    Notice his attire when delivering his tad dress. All in blue. He is so convinced that it is only under the UWP that these ideas could become reality

    Change is a must not an option.

  4. cautious
    August 31, 2013

    wow jah ..boy we miss u up here in china but i see u make big for ur self keep it up my boy ..forward ever backward never

  5. Go getter
    August 31, 2013

    Too much talk, walk the walk.

  6. Go getter
    August 31, 2013

    What about the project you are doing Mr. Benoit. Have not heard much about it.

  7. Not A Go Getter
    August 31, 2013

    Nice talk Mr. Benoit, but get going with the project you are involved in Dominica, over 8 months no impact, million dollar project awaiting us out there. Employment for the youth and you are dragging feet. The Minister of Community Development and her Cabinet colleagues chose you over the competent and abled Local Government staff. The Minister was too naïve to see your expertise would have been better in the youth division, but its a matter of a job for our boy. She was so excited to shout it out to your mama. “We gave our boy the job”.
    Are you going to convert the project into a youth incubator?

  8. Anonymous
    August 31, 2013

    There were other Caribbean youth delegates at the meeting by the way. 7 others to be exact who worked on that same speech. Get it right people.

  9. kaiso
    August 31, 2013

    Proving Hon. Norris Prevost of the UWP rgiht.

    Speak out yout!!

  10. mama
    August 30, 2013

    Bravo my child keep up the good work, you have made us proud.

  11. dominican to the bone.
    August 30, 2013

    I know mr bentiot personally and I know he has a good heart. He loves his island and is a true patriot. This is the kind of people we need leading this country and in years to come he will make a great politician. I hope our politician paying attention to what he is saying by implementing this ideas.

  12. ROSEAU VALLEY
    August 30, 2013

    Very good youngman. Congratulations. Well said. We are encouraged.

    Perhaps the President of the National Youth Council has been listening and studying the policies, plans and programmes of the United Workers Party.

    Mr. Jahisiah Benoit sounds like a good student of the UWP government or is himself an active supporter of the UWP and is prepared to lend his voice to call on youth 2000 to support the UWP in returning Dominica to a path of economic prosperity and honest, good governace.

    This is precisely what the UWP has been advocating, especially elders and trustees like Hon. Norris Prevost of Roseau – the education, employment and entrepreneurship development of our youth and the frequent and repeated calls for the establishment of a business incubator in Dominica.

    Respectfully
    Roseau Valley

  13. Top cop
    August 30, 2013

    This is what the honorable Norris Prevo wanted go do with the building opposite scotia bank but so much politics in Dominica Instead they put a medical school how many young persons are employ at this institution

  14. lolz
    August 30, 2013

    I applaud your efforts! Keep it up

    • WE VOTING UWP
      August 30, 2013

      We agree. Youth 2000 should not fear anymore. They should join the UWP and make these recommendations a reality by electing the UWP to office.

      The UWP is eager to give young people the opportunity to put forth their ideas, construct them into prototype, and make financing and technical expertise available to them to get their business off the ground.

      This is what the UWP started and what it will continue to do once back in government.

      In fact on page 24 of its 2005 manifesto, the UWP stated,
      “the United Workers Party is committed to increasing the voice and visibility of youth on political, social and economic issues. A UWP government with act with the mandate of the Commonwealth Youth Secretariat by creating and supporting the enabling conditions under which young people can act on their behalf and on their own terms, rather than at the direction of others. In other to achieve such goals, the UWP pledges to:
      – Take all necessary steps to implement the National Youth Policy;
      – Develop plans, programmes and services at the national and local levels with greater youth and community participation;
      – Create the economic base and social support to sustain the health and well being of youth
      – Make available, facilitate and allocate adequate resources and offer appropriate business oriented, entrepreneurial, information and administrative framework for youth development etc.. etc
      The UWP plan seeks to inter alia, reduce unemployment among youth by creating more job opportunities and to promote youth agents of change in families and our society.

      Youth 2000 and beyond, vote the UWP. Be sure with the SAW in HAND. Change is a must not an option.

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