Katalyxt launches 2017/18 Youth Innovators’ competition
LITTLE over a month ago the Katalyxt team launched its 2017/18 Youth Innovators’ Competition (YIC) at the Jose Marti Technical High School in St Catherine.
The excitement could not be missed as several schools gathered to be stimulated by thought-provoking challenges delivered by the sponsors, industry stakeholders and organisers of Katalyxt YIC Programme.
Under the theme of “Planting the Seed of Entrepreneurship in Fertile Soil,” the launch kicked off with Moderator, Cheryll Stewart, welcoming all to the seventh staging of the YIC and acknowledged the main sponsors and industry stakeholders: Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) Limited, Jamaica National (JN), EXIM Bank Jamaica, Tru-Juice and Jamaica Producers.
Katalyxt Team Leader, Winsome Minott shared the team’s continuous commitment to providing tools, information, training and inspiration to students in high schools to become innovators and job creators.
She also took the time out to stress the importance of being resilient in the face of adversity, noting that “entrepreneurs always face problems” and it is one’s attitude and ability to preserve that allows one to be successful.
She ended her message on high note, having the students repeat the YIC mantra, “We are innovators, we are job creators, we are the best of the best!”
For his part, Senior Education Officer Marlon Williams who was representing Dr Grace McLean’s from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information announced the ministry’s endorsement of the YIC and encouraged the students to make the best of the opportunities provided and to compete at the highest standard
The schools represented at the launch and sensitisation included:
Ardenne High School
Bridgeport High School
Bustamante High School
Calabar High School
Camperdown High School
Edith Dalton James High School
Jamaica College
Jose Marti Technical High School
Kingston College
Kingston High School
Kingston Technical High School
Lennon High School
McGrath High School
Mona High School
Nain High School
Penwood High School
Roger Clarke High School
Tarrant High School
Vere Technical High School
Waterford High School
Wolmer’s Trust High School for Boys
Yallahs High School
After the launch, a sensitisation workshop followed at the Medallion Hall in St Andrew, where the youth innovators were introduced to Karl Hendrickson’s success story.
They were also made aware of the dangers of becoming complacent in the field of business.
It ended with the teams well aware of all the information needed and attitudes necessary for a success.
The next sensitisation workshop/training will take place in the parishes of St James, Westmoreland and St Elizabeth.