COCI Focuses on Economic Resilience through Entrepreneurship Nurturing

The St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce & Industry (COCI) has completed its first in a series of presentations to the students of the various secondary educational institutions on the island. This initiative of COCI, was primarily geared towards the equipping and nurturing of our high school students with an entrepreneurial culture and mindset for which they can gravitate to and apply in the future.

COCI considers this initiative of engaging our students and exposing them to an entrepreneurial culture, a very important component towards the achievement of a more resilient and sustainable economic future of the country St. Maarten. It is seen as an element in the foundation towards a strong, resilient, and sustaining business sector that would inevitably contribute to our future economic growth and improved
living standard of our people.

Presentations were based on the topic “The Importance of Entrepreneurship” for which over 350 students from 10 schools including the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA). This engagement with the Schools started in December of 2020 and concluded in May of 2021, just in time for the students to focus on their exit exams. During the Chambers’ presentation, students learned the importance of
entrepreneurship and its elements of innovation, sacrifice, and determination. Additionally, the role of the COCI and other key stakeholders within the business eco-system, the various types of legal entities, and the steps needed to start a business on St. Maarten were also presented and explained. The student’s participation and interest in the presentation and its contents exceeded expectations. The presentation
to the various schools were conducted by COCI’s Business Development Officer Ms. Sharilyn Bryson.

COCI are therefore thankful for the collaboration over the past six months with each secondary institution and are happy to announce that for the upcoming school year 2021 – 2022, further collaborations of this nature can be expected. According to the Executive Director Mr. Jude Houston “It is the plan of COCI, to incorporate and develop other youth programs within its operations, where our students can showcase their creativity and novelty ideas that can be future contributors to our country’s growth and development”. These initiatives among others, will emanate from the Business Development arm of the Chamber of Commerce.