ECCU Students Gain Insight on Economic Issues
- Last Updated on 02 March 2013
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The regional session which was facilitated by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) was designed to give the students the opportunity to exchange their ideas and broaden their understanding of the 2013 OECS Essay Competition topics. The session was also geared to exposing the students to techniques for analysing the essay questions, organising their ideas and presenting strong arguments.
The facilitators were:
• Ms Betty-Ann Gilbert, the Managing Director of Dynamic Distributors in St Kitts and Nevis who addressed the topic, Youth Unemployment: Opportunities for Entrepreneurship. Ms Gilbert spoke to the challenges faced by young people due to the high rates of youth unemployment and the opportunities which could be derived from this situation. She further encouraged the students to embrace volunteerism as an avenue for broadening their skill sets and creating employment opportunities.
• Mr. Roderick St Clair, Marketing Officer of the Marketing and National Importing Board in Grenada presented on the topic, Improving the Viability of Agriculture in the OECS. In his presentation, Mr. St Clair highlighted the linkages between agriculture and the other real sectors and the contribution of agriculture to the ECCU’s Gross Domestic Product.
• Ms Sybil Welsh, Adviser, ECCB wrapped up the session with a discussion on: The OECS Economic Union: Benefits, Challenges and Opportunities, where the students shared their perspectives on the benefits of the union to the citizens of the OECS.
Four discussants also shared expertise and hands-on experience on the various topics and helped to deepen discussion among the students to increase their interest and heighten their understanding of the issues. The students also received tips, research resources and guidelines which would assist them with writing their essays.
The OECS Essay Competition, which began in 2001, is part of the ECCB’s community outreach programme and is open to students aged 14 – 19 throughout the ECCU member countries. The topics for the 2013 competition are:
• In today's economic climate, many school leavers are faced with high unemployment rates within the OECS countries. What can the youth do to turn this situation into opportunities for entrepreneurship?
• Agriculture is a viable booster for OECS economies. Discuss.
• What strategies can OECS countries employ to ensure that young people become better acquainted with the benefits of the OECS Economic Union?
More information can be obtained from the ECCB’s website at www.eccb-centralbank.org.
The deadline for submitting the essays is 29 March 2013.
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