Minister of Youth Development and National Service, the Honourable Foster Cummings, along with Permanent Secretary Farook Hosein, and Deputy Permanent Secretary Marcia London–Mc Kellar, met with University of the West Indies St. Augustine – Student’s Guild President Kobe Sandy, to discuss the challenges facing UWI students and seeking solutions to address them.
Chief Executive Officer of the National of Entrepreneurship Development Company Limited (NEDCO) – Calvin Maurice, Sector Specialist, Enterprise Development Division – Makesi Alexander, and other Executive members of the UWI STA Guild, were also in attendance at the meeting.
During the virtual meeting, Student’s Guild President Sandy, briefed Minister Cummings on their plans to address the challenges facing its members, as well as plans for implementing programmes to bridge the gap between academia and entrepreneurship, which can lead to sustainable business development.
Minister Cummings agreed to work with the UWI STA Guild to address their concerns, proposing that a working group be established to formulate an action plan on the way forward. This group will comprise representatives from the Ministry’s Enterprise Development Division (EDD), Cooperative Development Division (CDD) and State Enterprise – National of Entrepreneurship Development Company Limited (NEDCO).
Additionally, Permanent Secretary Hosein recommended that the Business Model presently implemented by Co-operatives within Trinidad and Tobago can be examined and applied going forward. This Business Model allows members, who are co-owners, to pool their limited resources for their collective benefit, which is in tandem with the plans put forward by the Guild.
The Ministry of Youth Development and National Service remains committed to supporting the effective and efficient operations of our stakeholders, including institutions such as the University of the West Indies that contribute significantly to the development of our citizens, in particular the youth of Trinidad and Tobago.
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