May Pen, Clarendon — The Clarendon Parish Council and several partner agencies recently launched a project aimed at encouraging and supporting young business operators in the parish.

The project aims to assist 15 young, local business owners by exposing them to product development and business improvement training. It includes grant funding of $100,000, a release from the Clarendon Parish Council said.

Partnering with the parish council in the Clarendon Youth in Business Project are Caribbean Local Economic Development Project (CARILED), Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), Jamaica National Small Business Loans, and HEART Trust/NTA.

Damion Young, the Clarendon Parish Council’s local economic development officer (LEDO), explained that the project arose out of the need to address the challenges a number of youth in business face in accessing grant funding and business loans.

“We (the Clarendon Parish Council) believe that this is an ideal way to improve the business environment for Clarendon’s youth, and as we seek to engage a cohort of them we will be informing ourselves of the challenges being faced by youth in business and we can use this data to tailor suitable responses to youth issues, especially on the economic front,” Young said.

Stephanie Hutchinson, national CARILED coordinator, explained that her organisation’s support was based on the vulnerability of young entrepreneurs in business and the successful track record of the Clarendon Parish Council in implementing CARILED-funded local economic development projects.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development Denzil Thorpe lauded the Clarendon Parish Council for taking the lead yet again to find useful solutions to local challenges.

He described Clarendon Youth in Business Project as being consistent with the objectives of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.

“We grow community-based initiatives that can empower people,” Thorpe said.

He told his audience of mostly young people that the grant of $100,000 was seed capital meant to encourage innovative business ideas.

Mayor of May Pen Councillor Scean Barnswell expressed hope that the Clarendon Youth in Business project will drive local economic development.

Application for the 15 available spots in the Clarendon Youth in Business project grant and product development training is now open to residents of Clarendon aged 18-35. They should operate existing small businesses in agriculture, agro-processing, manufacturing, technological services, or cosmetology sectors.

Applications can be submitted to the secretary/manager, Clarendon Parish Council, Sevens Road, May Pen by Friday, July 29, at 3:00 pm, the release said.