the psoj private eye ezine
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February 2012TRANSCRIPT
8.5"x11" PCFS 2012 OPtima 33%.pdf 1 2/24/12 5:03 PM
Page 6PROJECT FOCUSPSOJ-led project trains SMEs in business ethics
Page 8 MEMBER FOCUSContinental Baking Company celebrating 60 years by giving back
Page 12MEMBER FOCUSYaneek Page: The social entrepreneur
Page 15MEET THE STAFF Evett Evans-Coombs: 21 years of excellent service
Page 16COMITTEE REPORTMessage from the StandingCommittee on National Security
Page 18EVENTS
Page 19YUTE FEATUREAllison Watson:Mentorship is an act of patriotism
Page 20PAST HAPPENINGSCrime Stoppers International 32nd training conference
Page 21NEWSFrom the CEO’s Report
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Table of ContentsMessage from the EditorThe key mandate of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica is to ensure that all members – associations, companies and individuals work together to promote a competitive and productive private sec-tor. The Organisation undertakes this mandate in a number of ways, from establishing committees and associations responsible for mitigat-ing problematic issues to facilitating business development, particular-ly in the small and medium-sized enterprises sector, through various initiatives. This is a vital function as business development must be emphasised in order for a nation’s economy to grow, and Jamaica is currently not actualising its full growth potential.
Among the measures employed to facilitate growth in this crucial sector has been a partnership with the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) to launch FINPYME Integrity, a programme aimed at supporting sustainable development though incorporating ethics, transparency and anti-corruption practices into the country’s SMEs. The programme was launched in September 2011 and has already garnered support from businesses in the SME sector.
The PSOJ was also proud to select young entrepreneur Yaneek Page, founder of the innovative Future Services International Limited, to represent the Organisation and Jamaica in the prestigious Internation-al Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The programme was focused on entrepreneurship and small business development in the United States and Page shares some of the lessons she learned from her trip, as well as ideas she would like to see implemented here.
Our Member Focus column is two-fold this month as we also profile Continental Baking Company (National), which will mark 60 years of operation this November. This company is a prime example of how tenacity and innovation can lead to sustainable development.
Perhaps the greatest threats to the growth and development of the economy are crime and violence, and the Standing Committee on National Security looks at how the business sector has been a!ected over the last four decades, as well as how the events of the Tivoli incursion has potentially sparked a positive change.
The Youth Upliftment through Employment (YUTE) programme was also created out of this event, and mentor Allison Watson shares how important it is to positively influence the lives of our young people.
As always, we also round up and highlight the work of the various PSOJ committees and more for the first two months of the year.
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Sandra AC GlasgowCEOThe Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ)
n the last quarter of 2011, the PSOJ collaborated with the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) to launch FIN-PYME Integrity, an initiative to encourage the growth of a
transparent business environment for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The programme, developed with the sup-port of the Republic of Korea through the Korea-IIC SME De-velopment Trust Fund, aims to support sustainable business de-velopment through a targeted business ethics programme aimed at improving their capacity to e!ectively incorporate integrity, transparency and anti-corruption practices into their organisa-tions.
The IIC is collaborating with several institutions, universities, small business associations, and chambers of industry and com-merce in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago to train
and educate SMEs to develop sound integrity policies and prac-tices by adhering to globally-recognised ethical and governance standards and showing them that business ethics can be a com-petitive advantage.
The PSOJ has been a strong advocate for implementing good corporate governance principles in ensuring sustainable and suc-cessful business operations. Strong business ethics is a principle to which all companies should adhere as part of their strategies to attain competitiveness.
Jamaica has the unenviable record of being ranked as the most corrupt country in the Caribbean. In 2010, the island achieved a score of 3.3 out of 10, and was ranked 87 out of 187 countries surveyed by Transparency International.
project focus
PSOJ-led project trains SMEs in business ethics
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(L-R): Rebeca Sanchez de Tagle White and Jorge Roldan of the IIC, with PSOJ CEO Sandra Glasgow and Hun Tae Lee, representative of the Republic of Korea.
A 2007 study by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (Ca-PRI) entitled A Landscape Assessment of Political Corruption in Jamaica cites Transparency International’s assessment that corruption distorts private and public investment, subverts the merit principle and rewards those who do not play by the rules (thereby reducing competition), weakens the authority of the rules/law and the methods and processes that lay at the heart of the democratic process, and contributes to undermining sus-tainable livelihoods in these economies, especially for the poor. Where a society is perceived to be highly corrupt, risks and hence unpredictability are heightened, trust may be reduced and economic and social relations become more complex and costly.
On their return, the Jamaicans formed an informal coalition and established a relationship with the PSOJ to specifically address
the role that SMEs can play in transforming the negative image of Jamaica as a corrupt country. The PSOJ convinced National Commercial Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia, the EXIM Bank and the Development Bank of Jamaica to sponsor 24 CEOs to partici-pate in a four-day training programme in business ethics.
As part of the programme, participants were o!ered a minimum of six hours of in-firm technical assistance from the three pre-senters, Glasgow, Lobban and McFarlane, to help them custom-ise ethics programmes for their companies.
Speaking at the September 2011 launch of the training pro-gramme, PSOJ Vice President, Lisa Soares Lewis noted that the private sector has not been as proactive about reducing its own role in fostering corruption in Jamaica.
“Indeed, if we are to be honest, some businesspeople think that practices such as giving bribes, or making party political contri-butions in an e!ort to win lucrative government contracts may be necessary to succeed in business,” said Soares Lewis.
“The fact is that unethical and corrupt practices may result in costly fines and penalties for companies and even for individual owners and directors and more far reaching and deleterious ef-fects like loss of reputation. A reputation for integrity is not only important to secure the loyalty of customers, (but also) for be-coming a business partner of choice or for increasing access to capital.”
Wayne Stanbury, founder and CEO of Berry-Don Financial Ser-vices, a money service business with branches in Linstead and Bog Walk, St Catherine, was excited about the programme. “This was a great programme. If Jamaica is serious about competing internationally, this kind of programme is critical for enhancing our skills as small business entrepreneurs,” said Stanbury.
He and his sta! spent months fine-tuning the company’s eth-ics programme and on January 25, 2012, Glasgow spent a day with sta! from all the three branches discussing the importance of the ethics programme and going through the firm’s code of ethics.
Stanbury is excited about his company’s future. “The sky is the limit for my small company. We aim to be one of the most prof-itable companies in Jamaica o!ering a unique suite of financial services of the highest quality, that always satisfy our customer’s needs and expectations; and this ethics programme will certainly help us to achieve that vision.”
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PSOJ Vice President, Lisa Soares Lewis delivers remarks on behalf of the organisation.
Participants at the launch of FINPYME, aimed at encouraging a transparent business environment in Jamaica’s SMEs.
lans to celebrate Jamaica’s 50th year of independence are shifting into high gear, and for Continental Baking Com-pany (CBC), which will be marking its 60th anniversary in
November, celebrations will be decidedly more low-key while the company focuses on giving back to the nation that has made it the clear leader virtually since its inception in 1951.
Not that the milestone isn’t significant, but instead of throwing itself a big anniversary party, the company, most famous for its National line of baked products, will put its resources towards development. Among the initiatives CBC has thrown its strength behind is Crayons Count. This recently launched project aims to increase awareness of the importance of early childhood educa-tion and good early childhood practices. They will also donate a learning kit to 2,700 basic schools across Jamaica.
“This is designed to help the basic education of the child. It’s no secret: the government is having a hard time doing that, so we had to step up to the plate. There’s a lot of support coming from corporate Jamaica because it’s an important programme. It will be my personal pet programme for this year as we celebrate
Jamaica’s 50th, as we celebrate our 60th,” explained CBC Man-aging Director, Gary ‘Butch’ Hendrickson Hendrickson.
The company is also developing new products, which Hendrick-son was reluctant to divulge. He was more willing to talk about the company’s Bold Ones initiative, which assists several young businesses to participate in the Jamaica Exporters Association/Jamaica Manufacturers Association ( JEA/JMA) annual trade expo. The programme, costing approximately $13 million, was first carried out in 2010.
Other philanthropic activities for the CBC team include the annual Sigma Corporate Run, which they have participated in for several years. The company also financially supports a num-ber of charitable organisations such as the St Patrick’s Founda-tion, the Mustard Seed Communities, Missionaries of the Poor and the Law Street Trade Training Centre. CBC also supports the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica’s Youth Upliftment Through Employment (YUTE) programme. Currently, that sup-port is financial, but Hendrickson disclosed that members of his managerial sta! are also interested in becoming mentors.
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member focus
Continental Baking Company celebrating 60 years by giving back
Managing Director of Continental Baking Company, Gary ‘Butch’ Hendrickson
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The company is a long-standing member of the PSOJ, having joined in the 1970s. It is a highly valued relationship, Hendrick-son said, although he hasn’t been able to join any committees due to the company’s hectic operational schedule.
“We’ve been in a growth mode for quite a while now. People keep telling me manufacturing is dead and the last time I checked,
we grew quite a lot, actually – those of us who take it seriously, and we do,” Hendrickson stated. “We face every single chal-lenge that every other manufacturer does, but we’ve been facing them for a long time. We’ve seen the good, the bad (and) the ugly. We are committed to what we do, so it’s never a thought about deciding not to (produce); it’s a matter of working with what you’ve got.”
Hendrickson’s motto of ‘no excuses’ has seen the company weather the global economic recession without making redun-dant even one of its more than 700 sta! members. “I’m very proud of that. I think we added sta! last year and, all things being equal, this year we’ll add more,” he said. “We’re growing in the export market and that requires more sta! at times and investing in new machinery.”
Currently CBC exports to the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, thus it hasn’t faced the challenges currently being experienced by local manufacturers exporting to Trinidad and Tobago. However, as the company makes plans to export to other Caribbean countries, Hendrickson is sure Continental will meet that challenge. “That’s something that we have to decide as a people if we’ll tolerate,” he said, adding that if Jamaicans decide not to accept imported products from Trinidad or else-where in the world, local manufacturers must create the prod-ucts to fill that demand.
Hendrickson, who took over the management of CBC in 1994, runs a tight ship, emphasising the principles of accountability, equality and fairness. “All our accounting practices are exactly the same as any publicly listed company. It is run like a profes-sional organisation,” he said. “I don’t have the luxury of being able to know every member of sta!. That’s not a comfortable thing for me, but I’ve grown to accept it. It’s just the nature of the business.”
Even as it marks its 60th anniversary, Hendrickson is keen on keeping the company moving forward. “We’re quite aware of the position we hold in the market and the responsibility of the company where other people’s lives are concerned,” he said. “I don’t think we should lose our focus on the fact that the cus-tomers run our company. It’s their decision, so their satisfaction creates our success. We’ll keep on working towards total satis-faction, the best service we can possibly give, the best quality we can put out without any excuses.”
ecognising the financial challenges the average Jamaican faces in the legal system and the fact that legal aid is un-available for non-criminal cases, Yaneek Page decided to
do something about it. In 2008, the certified business resilience manager launched Future Services International Limited (FSIL), o!ering clients full litigant support services in addition to busi-ness risk management solutions. Page describes FSIL as “a ven-ture in social entrepreneurship”, created to fill a chronic need in the society.
FSIL o!ers funding for civil lawsuits including court costs, re-quests for and collection of police reports, medical fees and costs and mediation fees, cash advances for personal injury claims, service of court documents, client referrals for attorneys and investigator services. The company also provides business continuity planning and risk management services, including busi-ness impact analysis and business continuity training, operational risk assessments and sta! assessment and training.
It is the first company of its kind in Jamaica and Page’s work has caught the eye of both local and international organisations. However, she is used to standing out having created history at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies by graduating at the top of her class and copping all the awards in 2004. The year 2011 was also a standout for Page as she was a regional winner at the NCB Nation Builder Awards in the Wom-en in Business category.
Based on these achievements, the PSOJ chose Page to represent Jamaica in last year’s International Visitor Leadership Program
(IVLP), the premier professional exchange programme of the United States Department of State. The project focused on small business development.
“It involved a lot of travel. It was exciting to meet emerging busi-ness leaders from around the world and getting to understand what the US is doing to develop entrepreneurship,” Page said.
The three-week trip involved visits to Washington, DC, Ohio, Florida and California and participating in more than 16 meet-ings and tours of various business development programmes and networks. Among Page’s highlights is JumpStart, a Cleve-land-based, nationally recognised entrepreneurial accelerator programme.
“They have been very successful in getting businesses out the blocks. You can just come in with a good idea, but what’s re-ally interesting is that the people who come up with these ideas are not in their 20s – they’re in their 40s and 50s, fresh out of corporate jobs and have been sitting on their ideas for a while,” she said.
Page also spoke highly of US Market Access Centre (USMAC), a specialised business incubator and accelerator that assists emerging foreign technology companies with the tools to suc-cessfully enter and thrive in the Silicon Valley. This is of particu-lar importance to Jamaican technology companies that aspire to enter the US market but lack the know-how and capital to do so.
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member focus
Yaneek Page:The social entrepreneur
“It was exciting to meet emerging business leaders from around the world and getting to understand what the US is doing to develop entrepreneurship.”
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“Most states now have economic development o#ces that sup-port entrepreneurship because they recognise that there has to be a greater focus on productivity, getting people back to work,” Page said, lamenting the lack of such a support structure in Jamaica, particularly in the area of venture capitalism. This is a definitive aspect of the American entrepreneurial culture. The states’ focus on driving entrepreneurship also extends to home-based businesses, a growing sub-sector of the economy. “We don’t have any recognition of home-based businesses at all. We could look closely at this model and redefine mixed zones (com-mercial and residential properties in one area), revisit legislation to get a similar system here.”
Among the overall benefits of participating in the IVLP for Page were gaining a greater understanding of the keys to e!ective communication with Americans and the essentials for doing business in the US or with US companies. Cultural cues like cor-rect accents and body language, directness, being open and en-gaging and selling your track record are vital for doing business in the US.
As a successful female entrepreneur, Page was also specially invited by the Department of State to attend the Pathways to Prosperity Conference in the Dominican Republic last October. This was part of US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s plan to create the first ever network of female entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean with the aim of advancing the eco-nomic empowerment of women in the region. The network is to be formalised by mid-2012, but Page stated that many of the women have already formed linkages out of that initial meeting.
Page closed 2011 on another high note after being elected presi-dent of Women Business Owners Jamaica in December. Her first major project has been overseeing the continuation of the Strengthening and Promoting Women Entrepreneurs in Jamaica Project, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The project aims to assist 300 female entrepreneurs strengthen and expand their businesses through training and mentorship. The first batch of 149 women recently graduated from the train-ing module.
“This has never been done before in Jamaica. Participants who have completed the training all have glowing reviews and those about to start are already empowered,” she said. “We’re hop-ing that given the success of the project so far, we’ll be able to continue. We want to make it a sustainable programme.”
The WBO project ends with a combined graduation ceremony in December, but before that, Page and her team are planning an event to honour trailblazing women in various industries. The organisation will also continue to host regular seminars about the issues that a!ect women in business and work on strength-ening its advocacy function with mentorship through the Centre for International Private Enterprise.
Page also has big plans for FSIL, including launching a television show to support the corporate training arm of the business. “Many businesses would do well if they had the information they need,” she said. The show will follow 12 struggling business people as they explore a number of challenges. Following the show, plans are already in place to open an o#ce in Montego Bay as well as have the company’s risk management process ac-credited.
The IVLP delegation in San Francisco.
Page (left) shares a light moment with other participants in the IVLP.
8.5"x11" PCB 2010 SME photographer.pdf 1 2/24/12 5:35 PM
Meet the staffEvett Evans-Coombs:
21 years of excellent service to PSOJ
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The Private Eye: When did you join the sta! of PSOJ and how did this come about?Evett: I joined the sta! of the PSOJ on December 9, 1991. This came about when I was informed by a friend that the PSOJ was seeking a secretary/executive assistant. At that time I was job hunting because the job I had was proving to be frustrating; it was not providing me with enough work to keep me occupied each day and I needed a position that was more challenging. I submitted my resume, was called for an interview, was o!ered the job, and the rest is history.
The Private Eye: How many presidents and executive directors have you worked with? What are some of the more memorable experiences that you have had over the 20 years of your tenure at the PSOJ?Evett: I have worked with nine Presidents and four executive directors/CEOs. I developed a strategy for working with each president and each executive director/CEO by telling myself that when a new president is elected, I am in a new job, having to learn what is the best way to e#ciently and e!ectively serve each and to make him/her feel special.
Two of the more memorable experiences that remain with me were really challenging and include the lead role I had in organis-ing two PSOJ Hall of Fame dinners. The first one I had to do was thrown at me when the then manager for the Communications Department left the job suddenly. The other had to be planned
and executed within a very short time. On one occasion, it was so tight that I ended up wearing my uniform to the dinner. On both occasions however, teamwork is what made the di!erence.Being alert, thinking on your feet, always multitasking and be-ing responsive to the needs of members, the general public and fellow members of sta! are not easy accomplishments while working at the PSOJ – yet these are unwritten requirements. Working at the PSOJ for so many years sometimes makes me feel that I am the ‘Private Sector Information O#cer’ who re-sponds to all types of requests from members, the public and others – some making requests totally unrelated to the PSOJ and its role. Nonetheless, I make every e!ort to provide the information required and the support needed.
The Private Eye: Last year, your colleagues unanimous-ly voted you as “team member of the year”. What is it about your relationship with your colleagues that you feel propelled them to recognise you in this way?Evett: I think this question would be better directed to my col-leagues – I was honestly very shocked and humbled, to say the least, when the announcement was made. One thing I can say though is that I try my very best to be fair in all I do and say, and as much as it lies within me, to live peaceable with all men.
The Private Eye: What drives you? Evett: My faith in God – my never failing source, always remem-bering that ultimately it is only what I do for Christ that will last, and so I tell myself that He knows all I do, think or say and if I can please Him, then all else should be fine. I am guided by His standards and the fact that I am ultimately accountable to Him, always setting my goals to achieve 110 per cent (smile) feeling that if I fail I will not be much below the 100 per cent mark. I get great satisfaction from serving others and doing what is right. I am further motivated when I see that those I serve have benefit-ted, and are satisfied with my e!orts.
The Private Eye: Other members of the team see you as a mother figure. Tell us about your family.Evett: I am the second child of 11 children (three brothers and seven sisters), brought up by my parents and my grandparents in a Christian home. I was trained to honour my parents and to be respectful to all those whom I encounter, no matter their status in life. I am the proud mother of two children of my own (Charmaine and Andrew) and I have many uno#cial adoptions. I have six wonderful grandchildren (three grandsons and three granddaughters) and I have tried to be the best mother and grandmother that I can be. We are a close-knit family. My mom is still alive at 82 years old but my father preceded her Novem-ber 1997. My husband preceded me August 2010, but I am ever grateful to God for His continued blessings and His faithfulness.
Evett Evans-Coombs
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CoMMittee reportMessage from the
Standing Committee on National Security
ver the past four decades, crime has become deeply rooted in Jamaican culture in a parasitic relation-ship that often threatens to overwhelm legitimate
society. While crime was increasing, clear-up rates fell for most crimes between 1970 and 2008. For most of those years, the general weakness of law enforcement in prosecuting crimes, es-pecially those associated with the political system, has contrib-uted to the spread and penetration of crime and the growth in feelings of impunity by criminals at all levels. Probably despairing that anything would be done or achieved, people have stopped reporting crimes if it did not endanger life.
The May 23, 2010 Tivoli Gardens incursion seems to have been a watershed moment in Jamaica’s fight against crime. The po-lice have been pursuing a strategy of aggressively targeting gang leaders for questioning and arrest and it appears to be working. Hopefully, this will lead to a decisive break with the past and law enforcement personnel will develop the confidence to go after criminals wherever they are to be found.
Since then, Jamaica’s homicide rate has fallen from 60/100,000 to 37/100,000 and we are no longer among the top three countries with the highest murder rates globally. However, this is clearly still too high. The worst e!ect of crime is certainly the loss of lives, but it is also costing the country investment, jobs, economic growth and a better quality of life for all. A 2001
World Bank-sponsored study entitled ‘Crime and its Impact on Business in Jamaica’ estimated that if the country could reduce its murder rate to 8/100,000 as in Costa Rica, it could achieve 5.8 per cent more in annual GDP growth, doubling our per cap-ita income in 12 years. On average, it is costing medium-sized business 7.6 per cent of revenues to protect themselves from crime, and for small business the cost is as high as 17.8 per cent. The challenge now is to build on the recent gains, prevent re-gression and further reduce the levels of serious crime.
Reducing crime will require more than e!ective policing. It will also require wider societal support and increased resources for the law enforcement e!ort, greater transparency and account-ability within the country’s political institutions, greater coopera-tion among citizens within communities in looking out for each other and for potential and existing threats to their safety, while also promoting greater responsibility and commitment by indi-viduals to fundamental principles of honesty, hard work and the rule of law.
Crime has been too easy and too profitable for the perpetra-tors and too painful and costly for the rest of us. It is time for the state and citizens to shift the pain and dissuasion to those engaged in crime and seize the peace and safety that is the birth-right of all law-abiding citizens.
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eventsImproving CARICOM Market Access for Jamaican
Goods and Services - March 6 & 7 at Wyndham Kingston Hotel, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
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he Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), in asso-ciation with the UK Department for International Develop-ment (DFID) and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) will be conducting an intra-regional workshop entitled Im-
proving CARICOM Market Access for Jamaican Goods and Services on March 6 and 7, at the Wyndham Kingston Hotel from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm daily. The workshop is designed to assist intra-regional exporters to better access regional markets. The total cost of the workshop for both days is $8,000 (including GCT). Some highlights of the workshop will be:
Individual one-on-one product/service development sessions with consultantHow to source potential buyers in CARICOMBranding and positioning both online and o$ine strategiesE!ective trade promotion tools and resources, regional trade shows, buyer-seller meetingsSectors within CARICOM poised for growth and developmentTo facilitate participant’s exposure to new ideas which would allow them to implement aspects of the workshop relevant in their day-to-day operation
Target groups:Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) interested in entering the CARICOM market and those already present and require profession-al assistance and advice in the following sectors:
Aquaculture Specialty FoodsBeveragesCo!ee and SpicesNutraceuticals (beauty and aromatherapy)
We encourage you to register early to secure your place in this work-shop. To register, please contact:
Violet Verona Vassell (Miss)Marketing O#cer - Media Communications & Events The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica39 Hope Road, Kingston 10Jamaica, WITel: 1-876 927-6238Mobile: 1-876-329-1079/1-876-878-2819Fax: 876-927-5137email: [email protected]; [email protected]
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ublic relations consultant and broadcaster Allison Watson has been a part of the Youth Upliftment Through Employ-ment (YUTE) programme since its inception in March
2011. She shares her story:
Private Eye: Why did you decide to become involved?Allison: I was emceeing a sporting event sponsored by FLOW, who was using the platform to raise and donate funds to the YUTE programme, when I was approached by Melissa Johnson of Development Options to consider becoming a mentor. I sub-sequently did some research on the programme in terms of its goals, real beneficiaries, etc, and was satisfied that there was no hidden agenda and that I could, in fact, make a meaningful con-tribution, so I connected with the YUTE programme and have been happily involved since.
Private Eye: How did you connect with your mentee? Allison: I actually attended the first training session for mentors held at St Andrew High School for Girls about three weeks later and it was on this occasion that I met my mentee. The format was very interesting. In fact I recall the mentors at this gathering joking that we were like goldfish in a bowl. We were invited to interact with all the mentees from di!erent communities, then stand on the platform and wait (and hope) to be selected!
Private Eye: Tell us a little about your mentee. Allison: Francois is a very conscientious, intelligent and driv-en young man from Olympic Gardens. When we had our first meeting, he was awaiting his CXC results. He did well, so now he is pursuing an Associate Degree in Management Information Sys-tems. Francois also works part time with a MIS company, a job he attained through his internship with the YUTE programme. He has exquisite clarity on what he wants to do with his life and his long-term career goals includes wanting to work in the Air Wing of the Jamaica Defesnce Force. Francois’ biggest challenges include access to the resources he needs for school – computer, Internet, books, etc. He is working and going to school in the evenings, so he doesn’t have a lot of time to spend at the library or Internet cafes. He also has limited financial resources; having had to pay for his schooling, related expenses and helping out at home when necessary. That said he is not a complainer.
Private Eye: How do you interact with your mentee?Allison: Our interaction is varied and regular. We started with telephone calls and standard meetings at my o#ce about once per week, but after a month, we had established a comfortable relationship, so I was familiar with his environment and he with mine. It became easier to invite him into my other spaces, family gatherings, movies with friends, just about any social space he could benefit from, in terms of networking and sharpening his social skills. When it was time to do his student loan filing, we sat together and did the due diligence. We also worked together to revamp his resume, prepare for interviews and just about any area of his development that needs support.
Private Eye: How do you hope to impact your mentee’s life?Allison: I hope to inspire and assist my mentee in challenging the summit of his personal and professional goals. I want to help him recognise challenges and setbacks as just that. I want to show that they can be handled and overcome, and that he can achieve all he aspires. But it is also important to me that he becomes an admirable, good, decent man, one that our society can be better for having. I encourage him to observe the golden rule in every area of his life. I think it is important as mentors to help inculcate strong values in our mentees, inasmuch as it is important to help them become successful.
Private Eye: Why do you think mentorship is important?Allison: Mentorship is important for a myriad of reasons. The most obvious to me is nation building; it is my view that support-ing the development of our youth is probably the single most im-portant individual act of patriotism one can contribute, even if all you did was help to keep one in school or out of jail. Personally, mentorship is incredibly rewarding and one of the most mean-ingful paths I have ever taken to a sense of self-actualisation.
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Allison Watson:Mentorship is an act of patriotism
Yute feature
PYUTE mentor Allison Watson
past happeningsCrime Stoppers International
32nd training conference
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Crime Stop Jamaica hosted the Crime Stoppers Interna-tional’s 32nd annual training conference at the Ritz-Carl-ton Golf and Spa Resort in Montego Bay from October 23 to 26, 2011. The theme of the conference was Crime Has No Borders. One hundred and twenty-six delegates from around the world were in attendance.
The excellent speakers, who covered current critical is-sues like cyber crime, social networking and the digi-tal footprint and human tra#cking, echoed the theme throughout the conference. Speakers represented inter-national organisations such as the United Nations, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Marshals and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Conference co-chair, Dave Carruthers, explained that the theme defined why Crime Stoppers International exists: In this Internet-driven age of social networking and global commercial enterprises our national borders are being eroded and exploited and criminal elements are doing their utmost to take advantage.
International board of directors of Crime Stoppers International. Jamaica’s representative, Prudence Gentles, is second right, front row.
Jamaica’s rep. Prudence Gentles (2nd right) about to hand over the CSI flag to Elaine Cloyd (2nd left), Conference Chair of the 33rd CSI Conference to be held in Las Vegas in Oc-tober, 2012. Others in picture are: from right, Michael Gordon Gibson, President, Crime Stoppers International, 3rd right David Carruthers, co-chairman of the CSI conference in
Jamaica, left, and Scott Mills, President of Crime Stoppers USA.
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newsFrom the CEO’s Report
Crime StopThe Crime Stop Coordinator’s report highlighted the following for January:
The success ratio was 1 in 4, compared to 1 in 14 for Decem-ber 2011.Three arrests in January, the same as in December of last year.Fifty calls were received in January, which were 17 more than the 33 calls received in December 2011. A total of $63,000 was paid out in rewards during January. No reward was paid out in December.The value of property recovered in January was $91,400. There was no information on property recovered in Decem-ber. The value of narcotics recovered in January was $8,857,400, compared with a value of $223,400 for the narcotics recov-ered in December 2011.
The Global Economic PictureAs anticipated by many analysts, the global economy is still strug-gling for the first half of 2012. This is well illustrated by the US economy, now widely regarded as “the best house in a bad (global) neighbourhood”. After growing sluggishly at annualised rates of 0.4 per cent, 1.3 per cent and 1.8 per cent, respectively, for the first three quarters of 2011, the US economy grew by only 2.8 per cent in Q4 2011, not the anticipated 3.0 per cent. In Europe, Britain’s marginal 0.1 per cent growth in Q3 2011 has been followed by a decline of -0.4 per cent in Q4 2012, putting the country on recession watch. Meanwhile, in Southern Europe, the European Central Bank and European creditor nations have demanded the implementation of draconian austerity measures, resulting in severe curtailment of aggregate demand, output and tax revenues. Jamaica will certainly be a!ected by these di#culties. Already our tourist arrivals from Europe are down 6.7 per cent and 1.7 per cent from the US for the January to September 2011 period, com-pared to the corresponding period for 2010. Additionally, given the heightened focus on sovereign indebtedness, this could lead to demand for higher rates, if and when Jamaica approaches the international market in the medium term.
MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
New MembersThere were two new members:
876 Technology Solutions LimitedL Howard Facey & Co Limited
Miscellaneous Activities The following events were communicated to members:
Make Your Mark Consultants Communication Seminar UCC education schedule DPMI special o!er
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Membership CommitteeThe Membership Committee did not meet in January as most of its members were part of the planning committee set up to organise the Jamaica 50 programme of activities. That committee met in January and discussed the Fifty Under Fifty initiative.
The first of the 2012 Mentorship of Emerging Entrepreneur-ial Leaders dinners was held on January 19 at the Spanish Court Hotel. Guest mentor was GraceKennedy’s Douglas Orane.
Corporate Governance CommitteeThe committee met on February 7.
Justice Reform CommitteeThe Justice Reform Committee did not meet in January. The next meeting is scheduled for March.
Standing Committee On National Security (SCNS)The Standing Committee on National Security met, as sched-uled, on January 17 and the following are the highlights:
The updated version of the Anti-Crime/Anti-Gang Bill discussed at the meeting was sent electronically to com-mittee members for their feedback. Minister of National Security Peter Bunting has requested stakeholder input on this bill before it is submitted to Cabinet.The SCNS would be seeking to convene a meeting with the minister to discuss his plans and vision for the na-tion’s security.The hosting of the Flow-sponsored security meeting in Clarendon was discussed. This is still being pursued and should be held in the first quarter of the year.
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CADRCThe Inter-American Development Bank mid-term review was completed on January 30. A justification report was re-submit-ted to the IDB. The evaluation for the videoconference facility was completed and a 50 per cent deposit made.
A proposal request has been prepared for the marketing and promotion of the CADRC. Six firms have been invited to submit proposals. The consultancy is for US$40,000, which is funded by a grant from the Development Bank of Jamaica.
Meanwhile, the centre was booked for eight consultations. It has also been booked for a series of four workshops between January and March.
We are exploring the possibility of having a booth at the JEA/JMA Expo scheduled for April, and one at the Annual General Meeting of the Jamaican Bar Association.
Education CommitteeThe committee did not meet in January as the education policy document is still being revised. A presentation of the educa-tion policy document was made at the committee’s February 10 meeting. Further adjustments are to be made for submission to the next meeting in March. Once the committee has signed o! on the document, it will be sent to the Executive Committee for approval and then to the Council for ratification.
Trade Policy Committee (TPC)Jamaica-Trinidad Trade RelationsTrinidad & Tobago will be taking a team to Jamaica to look at potential products they can import in an e!ort to reduce the massive trade imbalance between the two countries.
Trinidad’s Trade and Industry Minister, Stephen Cadiz, said that the Trinidadian government had to find a solution to the con-tinuing trade imbalance. According to figures from Trinidad’s Central Statistical O#ce (CSO), between 2006 and 2010, Trini-
dad exported more than $23 billion in goods to Jamaica and imported a mere $1 billion. While much of that figure repre-sented products from the energy sector, a lot was also locally manufactured goods.
YUTEThe first 12 months of the 24-month project were completed on January 31. To date, the programme is engaged with various levels of activity with 500 participants. An additional 750 youths have been engaged from which 600 will be selected. There have been revisions based on lessons learned during this first phase of the project.
Of the 500 participants:80 per cent have been assigned a mentor following training and matching.16 per cent have had an internship opportunity ranging from three to nine months.10 per cent have secured fulltime employment. All those eligible for work have been placed in work opportunities.34 per cent have actively participated in pre-skills training, an initiative designed to increase readiness for post-second-ary training.64 per cent of those in pre-skills training have had five to six weeks of work experience.21 per cent of all YUTE participants are currently in post-secondary training, which will result in certification upon completion. 5 per cent are enrolled in a training and placement op-portunity with a confirmed fulltime work placement upon completion of six weeks of training.
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ManagementBudgeted resources are currently in place. In addition there were 10 resources added to the management and implementa-tion team.
ChallengesImplementation challenges are being met with increased sta! and a recruitment process tied to opportunities.Challenges of limited work opportunities persist. There needs to be an increased drive with private sector firms.
The project is not yet fully funded. However, the YUTE project management o#ce has submitted three proposals to sponsors and received commitments for $60 million.
PROJECTS
EU Banana Support Programme – St James Youth Training and Job Placement Project
Three liaison o#cers and an administrative assistant have been appointed. An operations manual for the management of the training programme has been prepared. The liaison o#cers have received applications from the first batch of 20 trainees who started the programme on Febru-ary 6. The Branch Texas College located in Maroon Town was se-lected as the venue for training the participants. The PSOJ is currently finalising an agreement with Maldon Baptist Church, the owners of the facility. The facility visited in Cambridge requires a small amount of remodelling to be used for training. The PSOJ is awaiting an estimate of the costs and an authorisation letter from the owners. Due to the delays in having the training facilities ready, Global Gateway Solutions has agreed for the training to take place at their facility in St James until the community training facilities are ready.Orientation sessions were held on February 16. Training be-gan at Global Gateway Solutions on February 27.Requests for proposals to supply and install computer equip-ment have been sent to Tech-pro Business Solutions, Global Gateway Solutions, Prodigy Systems and Tactical Radio.
Improving the Competitiveness of Family Businesses (FamBiz)The FamBiz project is in the wrapping-up phase. The planned completion date for this project will be impacted by the final pay-ments made by the PSOJ since that is when the bank accounts will be closed and the final financials prepared. The preparation of the financials will continue until the accounts are closed.
EU-Pro"Invest Project: Capacity building of Caribbe-an private sector environmental and energy manage-ment capabilities
Final energy and environmental audit reports from Carib-bean Esco are outstanding.Final financial audit report of the project received from Ernst and Young and submitted to the EU in December. Awaiting final payment from the EU after review of docu-ments submitted.
CDB Project: Improving CARICOM market access for Jamaican goods and services
Trevor Hamilton and Associates presented initial findings to the PSOJ based on consultations undertaken in January, with an initial plan for a trade mission to Trinidad and Barbados in March. However, after discussions with the CDB, revi-sions to the report were requested to include an analysis of existing regional private sector mechanisms and the CET’s impact.Mendel Verlag: Ongoing market access research for goods and services for a regional trade database. Prototype being developed.Business Bridges: Workshop design, training manual and re-search document received. Two-day workshop scheduled for February 28 and 29.Kisserup: Consultants undertaking further stakeholder con-sultations to refine their workshop design and training man-ual. Workshops scheduled to take place in April.
The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ)
The Carlton Alexander Building39 Hope Road,
Kingston 10, Jamaica, W.I.
Tel: (876) 927 6238 Fax (876) 927 5137Email: [email protected]
www.psoj.org
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(876) [email protected]
Suites 11-12 Technology Innovation CentreUniversity of Technology
237 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6