Latest update December 25th, 2024 1:10 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Women begin business training under UN programme

Jun 02, 2011 News

Some 35 current and aspiring women entrepreneurs from Region Four, yesterday, began a two-day business training session aimed at fine tuning their skills in managing a company and making investments.
This is an annual programme, now in its fourth year in Guyana, and being run by a United Nations affiliated organisation, EMPRETEC, whose Managing Director, Judy Semple-Joseph, told the gathering that the training will be focused on building their entrepreneurial capacity.
“It is intended to radically change the way we operate as business people,” she said at the National Library’s conference room.
She said that this free of cost training course will in the month of June be taken to five regions: Two, Four, Six, Nine, and Ten.
EMPRETEC is a capacity-building programme of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) that seeks to enhance the business management ability of persons owning small and medium-sized enterprises.
UNCTAD’s goal in promoting these programmes is to develop the productive capacity and international competitiveness for economic development and poverty eradication in developing countries.
First introduced in Argentina, in 1988, this programme now has participants in 32 countries.
The term EMPRETEC is a Spanish acronym meaning ‘entrepreneurs and technology’. The women were selected for the programme from among persons who responded to and an invitation in newspapers and television, and went for interviews.
For two years now the Republic Bank has been the sponsor of EMPRETEC Guyana training programme.
That bank’s Senior Officer for Small and Medium Enterprises, Deborah Yan, stressed the importance of using technology as an integral part of business practices and gave an example of how the Internet can be used to further the training received at this course. “… to supplement what you are learning today, we encourage those among you with Internet access to use our free online resource for further skills development.
“The SME Toolkit is a mere click of the mouse away but provides an array of information and tools that any entrepreneur, regardless of their business size, would find essential and extremely useful to the growth of their business.”
She said that based on agreements signed some years ago with EMPRETEC and other local micro enterprise development organisations, the bank observed a need for improved business and financial management skills.
She added that in working with persons in micro businesses it was recognised that the core needs and opportunities for women entrepreneurs differ from those of their male counterparts.
“We saw an opportunity for bridging the gap so that women entrepreneurs with potential can be empowered for the level of success we are confident that they can achieve.”
Mrs Yan referred to an EMPRETEC Guyana 2005 survey which revealed that women micro-entrepreneurs accounted for 58 per cent of the persons surveyed with their businesses attracting employment at a percentage that was only slightly lower than the males.
“The survey also established that a massive 97 per cent of the women were eager to grow their businesses beyond the traditional thereby making more jobs available and increasing their contribution to Guyana’s economy,” she said.
She said that during that survey some areas for improvement were identified as critical to achieving the growth desired.
She explained it was found that the women micro-entrepreneurs were weak in financial management and book-keeping; not members of any business associations to facilitate networking; not adequately marketing their product; and approaching middle age and not enough young women were involved.
Mrs Yan explained that based on these findings it was recommended that there be a special focus on training, counseling and developing women to expand their business.
“The information provided the basis for a stronger focus on the success of women in micro enterprise and so it is with this vision in mind that we once again partner with EMPRETEC on this insight-driven initiative to bring you a programme that is relevant to your specific needs” the bank’s officer said.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

The wait is over, all roads lead to KMTC for their Grand Boxing Day Horse race meet

The wait is over, all roads lead to KMTC for their Grand Boxing Day...

Dec 25, 2024

Over 70 entries in as $7M in prizes at stake  By Samuel Whyte Kaieteur Sports- The time has come and the wait is over and its gallop time as the biggest event for the year-end season is set for the...
Read More
Xhiya Hercules – flipping the script towards Gymnastics history for Guyana

Xhiya Hercules – flipping the script towards...

Dec 25, 2024

Road Warriors, Bent Street, Team Cruel & Gold Is Money into quarter-finals

Road Warriors, Bent Street, Team Cruel &...

Dec 25, 2024

Deol maiden hundred outshines Matthews’ as India take series

Deol maiden hundred outshines Matthews’ as...

Dec 25, 2024

Moraikobai village two days football competition and fun day set for Old and New Year’s Day

Moraikobai village two days football competition...

Dec 25, 2024

BCB thanks cricket fraternity for strong support in 2024

BCB thanks cricket fraternity for strong support...

Dec 25, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]