Don’t we just love that Christmas feeling! It is indeed “the most wonderful time of the year” and as we wind down our operations for 2018, we wish to thank you, our long-standing partners, supporters, members and friends for your continued support and encouragement. We have formed new partnerships along the way and solidified budding relationships. Caribbean Export has remained a formidable ally and the Caribbean Development Bank has reposed its confidence in the SLCSI to roll out an OECS initiative which is one of the highlights of our year.
The last quarter was an exploratory and exciting one for the SLCSI as we launches a series of “firsts” which saw us collaborating with several regional agencies to implement targeted capacity building initiatives. We continue to delve into unchartered waters in response to global trends and keep our entrepreneurs ahead of the curve.
Through funding from Caribbean Export Development Agency and support from Export Saint Lucia and the OECS, the SLCSI hosted its first ever Animation boot camp. Toon Boom Animation Inc., a Canadian software company that specializes in animation production and storyboarding software facilitated the 5-day workshop which brought together animators from across the sub region. The workshop received encouraging feedback from the participants who requested further such initiatives.
We continue to take the lead among Business Support organizations in our support of entrepreneurs in the green tech sector as the SLCSI was selected by the Caribbean Climate Innovative center (CCIC) to host the first Women in Business Green Tech Innovation Boot camp in October.
Also in October, two of our ICT professionals from the Saint Lucia ICT Association (SLICTA) attended the 8th annual ALES conference which took place in the Dominican Republic. The networking opportunity this presented was immeasurable.
The Business of Music Online course has gotten its second wind through a partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank to host and facilitate a 5-day Business of Music Developmental workshops, each with particular focus and targeting specific sectors of the music industry. Issues pertinent to women is high on the agenda.
Looking ahead, the SLCSI will continue to focus on the priority sectors identified in the National Services Policy with particular attention to Health and Wellness, a sector which has demonstrated immense potential for development to position Saint Lucia as a wellness destination on par with any in the world.
As we pen this newsletter we received confirmation that five young Saint Lucian creative industry practitioners, on our recommendation, were accepted to participate in a 2-day workshop and showcase in Barbados funded and hosted by CEDA and the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries (BCSI).
As we refine our plans to roll out new capacity building programs in 2019, we invited to keep your eyes peeled and your ears tuned to the exciting opportunities ahead.
To register for or make enquiries about upcoming training programs interested persons should call the SLCSI at (758)452-7864 or email us at info@slcsi.org.lc.
We at the SLCSI extend complements of the season and a productive and abundant 2019. We look forward to working with and for you in the upcoming year!