Strengthening the Capacity of the Dominica Youth Business Trust to Foster Youth Entrepreneurs’ Engagement in the Development of Dominica

Despite the development efforts undertaken by the Government of Dominica following the 2017 hurricane Maria, labour opportunities remain scarce. This prevailing situation specifically impacts young entrepreneurs from disadvantaged areas.

Currently, the chances for local entrepreneurs to contribute to the development of the island are slim and Dominica presents a challenging environment for female entrepreneurs, who are often excluded and antagonized from the business scene.

In this regard, the project aims to strengthen the capacity of the Government of Dominica, specifically of the Dominica Youth Business Trust (DYBT), a subsidiary of the Youth Development Division, under the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and Constituency Empowerment.

More concretely, this project intends to strengthen and expand the capacity of the DYBT, its operations and programmes, with the aim of boosting Dominica’s entrepreneurial community. In addition, the project will strive to foster the engagement of local youth entrepreneurs, ensuring equal participation from different gender groups, including youth, families, the elderly, and the LGBTI community, among others.

The project will strive to achieve the two following outcomes:

1) The DYBT develops new initiatives and implements entrepreneurship training and employment support programmes;

2) Young entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds and different gender groups have developed successful and sustainable businesses thanks to the knowledge and capacities acquired through the pilot mentoring sessions.