Officials of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment and the UWI Global Campus at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.

May 9th, 2025 marked a new milestone between the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment and UWI Global Campus.

The Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the University of the West Indies Global Campus. This MOU will see YES' Entrepreneurial Development Training Programme undergoing the credentialing process by the University.

At the end of this credentialing process, the Entrepreneurial Development Training Programme will receive a stamp approval from the UWI, further enhancing the certificate students receive upon completion.

Dr. Francis Severin, Principal and Pro Vice Chancellor of the UWI Global Campus, speaking during the morning ceremony stated: "The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment through YES currently offers a certificate of participation in its Entrepreneurial Development Training Programme for participants completing the programme. YES therefore wishes to have this programme assessed, reviewed, planned and developed for delivery and the award of the relevant credentials from the University of the West Indies Global Campus. Credentialing is a systematic approach to the collection and verification of YES' professional qualification".

   

Dr. Severin spoke enthusiastically and positively about the future partnership between the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment and further elaborated on what the UWI Global Campus would be providing.

 

He assured that UWI Global would be providing "quality assurance review of the course outline and content, the provision or recommendation on the appropriate credential for the YES training programme and the issuance of certificates upon completion of the training."

 

Also present from the UWI Global Campus team were Mr. Ryan Byer, Head of Site and Dr Glenda Gay, Director (Ag) Academic Programming & Delivery and other members of the administrative and support team.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, the Hon. Charles Griffith in his remarks spoke about the journey from it being just an idea to now coming to fruition.

He said: "I thought then that it was a fantastic idea for us to [expand] the programme from here in Barbados to the region, but I wanted a situation where we were offering more."

Minister Griffith remarked that the Entrepreneurial Development Training Programme was ideal to provide this expansion and though was the first within the Ministry to undergo the credentialing process, it would not be the last.