In the current environment, much of our attention is on the political parties seeking office and what they offer. Special interest groups, ranging from those representing the aged to the farmers and fisherfolk, will all be seeking to get commitments of help for their various needs. And while our young people may not have the lobbyists pushing their wish-list, they too need help to deal with their challenges.
That is why the recent call by the executive director of Junior Achievement (JA) of Barbados, Marsha-Ann Clarke, for more businesses to join firms such as CIBC FirstCaribbean to help the organisation financially and by providing mentors, is exactly the type of effort needed to assist our young people.
The JA programme is a good example of how we can help guide our youth on the right path from an early age and one which does not need any political patronage to succeed. A long established initiative, it plays an important role in that it promotes entrepreneurial ideas among students.
It offers a wholesome partnership with educators and business and brings the real world to students in and out of the classroom by using hands-on experiences to teach work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Indeed, it can help prepare many of our youth for the world of work and responsibility in practical and meaningful ways.
 At the same time this programme can allow many of our business people to connect with our schools and help them to understand and recognize both the challenges and opportunities. The CIBC FirstCaribbean involvement at the Grantley Adams Memorial School is a good gesture. But we need to appreciate that we have many talented and eager young people at all our schools who only need the exposure and guidance.   Â
Hopefully all of our public and private secondary schools will establish JA programmes and more importantly that businesses – big, medium-sized and small – will reach out to help, not only financially, but by going into the classrooms to share experiences and give guidance.
It is important that business leaders teach lessons to the students to make them more aware and have a greater appreciation about the world of economics, finance, human relations, the basic concepts of starting a business and the benefits of the free enterprise system. This approach will also build a spirit of volunteerism and give back to society.
Clearly, we do not have to leave everything to the politicians and the political parties. Good corporate social responsibility on the part of the business community suggests that it takes an active part in supporting and further developing what is an excellent programme and by extension our youth.
