OECS to get centre for entrepreneurship training

British billionaire Richard Branson will assist in building a centre to train entrepreneurs in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Director General of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, Dr Didicus Jules said while this had not been broadcast to the public as yet, dialogue with the mogul had begun.
“We have not announced it publicly yet, but I had discussions with Sir Richard Branson and he has agreed to set up an OECS centre for entrepreneurship.”
Dr Jules highlighted said certain instances of failure occur because ordinary public sector workers cannot teach the skill of entrepreneurship.
“Sometimes we set up ourselves for failure if we give people to do things for which they are not well suited. I see sometimes governments setting up in ministries’ units to do entrepreneurship, but public servants cannot teach entrepreneurship.
It is a different type of approach and culture of work and mindset. To be the best entrepreneur is somebody who has failed, succeeded, picked up and gone on.”
Jules gave further details of where the centre and coordinators will be throughout the OECS.
“We are going to have the head of the centre and an itinerant trainer located in Dominica. And, located in each OECS country will be a coordinator, and that coordinator will be responsible for working with the cohort in that country who wants to be a part of that sector.”
Support for entrepreneurs will be available online according to Jules.
“All of the initial work will be done online, and there is a website you can go on for guidance, in terms of developing your business plan. You get advice and then you go through a process of elimination. So we end up with 10 persons from each OECS country for a core of 100, at a time, as official students of the Branson Centre.
They will get mentoring support, marketing support and all of the supporting systems will be in place to help you grow your business,” Dr Jules said.