Young people from around the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) are being encouraged to think of all of the possibilities for creative entrepreneurship and to put their ideas into action. On April 26, the first day of the Caribbean Development Bank' (CDB) VYBZING Youth Forum, launched at Beaches Resort Villages and Spa, there were warm welcomes and game-changing challenges issued to the 30 participants by representatives from CDB and the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services. Deputy Permanent Secretary within the Ministry, Amin McCartney, spoke on behalf of the Hon. Josephine Connolly, Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services. “My Government is committed to raising achievements of all of you and we will continue to invest in you ensuring that you are prepared to be the innovators of today and tomorrow, that you are poised not just for jobs of the present and the future, but to be the influential owners and executives of this modern era," he said. Under the theme, “Start Up and Stand Up: Promoting Creative Entrepreneurship among the Youth," the three-day Forum aims to give the new generation of entrepreneurs a competitive edge in the creative industries, by equipping them with the right tools and helping them build positive attitudes towards creative entrepreneurship. “We are actually having them engaged in a creative entrepreneurship incubator. From the time they come in, they are going to start thinking about project ideas and concept ideas. Over the next three days, we are going to teach them how to shape ideas into viable businesses," said Angela Parris, Manager - Information Services Unit (CDB). Parris further explained that, guided by presentations on topics including the legalities, opportunities, and technical and investment support in the local market, the entrepreneurs, who are grouped into teams for the Forum, will establish a startup and ultimately be required to demonstrate how that new company could thrive in the marketplace. Dr. Jo-Anne Tull, a seasoned researcher and creative consultant, and Dexter Musgrave, award-winning marketing practitioner, are facilitators for the sessions of the resident Forum. The event, a partnership between the TCI Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services, Invest TCI and CDB, will also feature presentations by Turks and Caicos business professionals. Speakers include Chandra Craigg, Out of the Box Advertising; Jamell Robinson, Learn and Lead; Oreika Selver, Invest TCI and Sophia Thomas, Center for Entrepreneurial Development. The opening day concluded with a reception, which Premier and Finance Minister, Hon. Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson attended. View photos