In Montserrat 26 students from the Montserrat Secondary School were part of over 290 students aged 14 – 19 from the eight member countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), who together via videoconference to share their perspectives and engage in discussions on youth unemployment, viability of agriculture in the OECS and the benefits of the OECS Economic Union on February 14.
Each of the islands ECCB agency office hosted, where students gathered, as the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) facilitated the regional session. It 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.
The students in addition to the main focus of the video conference forum and presentations therefrom, heard discussed education in its wider sense, when they were encouraged to involve themselves in cooperative efforts, in apprenticeships and volunteerism, not letting money be the first reason for their involvement.
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?
The deadline for submitting the essays is March 29, 2013.
Photo captions: students at the ECCB agency office during the video conference
