At a time when many young Saint Lucians may see leaving the island as their best shot at success, a new generation is being challenged to think differently. What if the opportunity they are searching for is theirs to create?
That message took centre stage as 98 secondary school students graduated from the Small Business Development Centre’s Young Entrepreneurs in Action (SBDC YEA!) Programme, following six weeks of hands-on exposure to the world of work.
At the programme’s closing ceremony at the Finance Administrative Centre, government officials and business leaders urged the graduates to see entrepreneurship not simply as a career option, but as part of Saint Lucia’s economic future.
Among those delivering that message was Shergaun Roserie of Orbtronics Ltd., one of the businesses which hosted interns during the programme.
Roserie challenged the students to confront fear and rethink the belief that meaningful opportunities can only be found overseas, arguing that at the heart of entrepreneurship is “a defiance of fear and a willingness to take risk to change the existing reality.”
Acknowledging the pull of migration among young people across Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean, he urged the graduates to consider whether they could instead become the people who create the opportunities they believe are missing.
“Ask yourself, ‘what if I’m the one that’s supposed to start it?’” Roserie told them, warning that when everyone waits for someone else to act, “we keep walking in circles waiting on each other.”
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce Sophia Alfay-Henry reinforced that message, saying young people cannot simply be discussed as beneficiaries of national development but must be equipped to actively shape it.
With today’s students set to inherit the institutions and economy now being built, Alfay-Henry described investment in their development as strategic rather than charitable, saying they must be given the “fortitude and the business acumen necessary to reposition our nation.”
The SBDC YEA! Programme has expanded significantly since its inception, growing from 40 participants to 98 graduates this year. Students received practical exposure through apprenticeships, internships and job shadowing in areas including graphic design, construction, accounting, woodworking, agro-processing, hospitality and cosmetology.
Alfay-Henry also praised the small and medium-sized businesses which opened their doors to the students, noting that many operate with limited staff but still committed time to teaching, mentoring and transferring skills.
Education, Youth Development, Sports and Digital Transformation Minister Kenson Casimir, meanwhile, challenged another deeply rooted perception — that some careers deserve greater respect than others.
Casimir argued that Saint Lucia must reach the point where an entrepreneur, plumber or creative professional is regarded with the same respect afforded to a doctor or lawyer.
He also praised the graduates for having the confidence to embrace their own ideas, describing the programme as recognition of young people willing to say, “I have an idea and it’s my idea” and believe they can successfully pursue it.
Tourism, Commerce, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture and Heritage Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire placed an even greater weight on the graduates’ future role, describing young entrepreneurs as potential drivers of Saint Lucia’s private sector and future wealth creation.
“Individuals like yourselves are the people that will bring wealth to the country in the future,” Hilaire said, warning that without developing home-grown entrepreneurs, Saint Lucia risks becoming increasingly dependent on foreign investment to drive economic activity.
His message to the students was stark: “If we cannot get it right with you, there will be no future for this country.”
Through workplace attachments, the SBDC YEA! Programme gives Form Four and Form Five students first-hand exposure to entrepreneurship while allowing established business owners to transfer practical skills to the next generation.
This year’s participants gained experience across industries ranging from culinary arts and agro-processing to hairstyling, automotive repair, building technology and electrical engineering.
