The theme for the training is on how to improve and enhance business start-ups and create market linkages for local supply.
The training aims at equipping young entrepreneurs with knowledge of packaging products as well as understand requirements of packaging before they commence exporting products.
Representing the Trade Minister, Basiru Jeng described the training as a mechanism of mitigating youth unemployment in The Gambia.
He said entrepreneurship had a great potential in addressing unemployment issues in the country. He added that GYCC, Nation Youth Service Scheme (NYSS), Presidential International Award (PIA) among others with training initiatives have brought a great number of youth enterprises into the country.
He added that since March 2020, the coronavirus pandemic had severely affected the trade industry both in the Gambia and worldwide.
Conversely, he said despite the current situation of the deadly disease in the country government is working tirelessly to ensure the active labor force is absorbed in the market.
“Constant programmes had been developed and implemented by government to address employment issues,” he said.
Jeng assured that government through the Trade Ministry would continue supporting GYCC and all youth development orientated institutions.
Babucarr Kebbeh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GYCC said the training is meant to support youth on packaging training to ensure understanding laws and regulations guiding the principles of packaging and the fundamentals around packaging.
He said if entrepreneurs are exporting there is a need for them to understand packaging requirements and the information needed on their products.
Kebbeh said with the coming of Africa Free Trade initiative, entrepreneurs can export products within the sub-region. Therefore, he added that without getting requirements and laws of packaging, traders would find it difficult to export products.
“This why, it is important you (the entrepreneurs) understand all these requirements before you start doing packaging to sell to local supermarkets, restaurants and hotels,” he noted.
GYCC Board President Ismaila Sambou advised youth to focus to attain their sustainable development goals, saying Gambian youth can attain goals at home despite the belief by many that people can only succeed abroad.
“64 percent of Gambia’s populations are young people. And out of this 64% less than 10% or 15% are currently employed meaningfully. So what we need to do, is to harness the potential of young people to move to the next level,” he stated.
“We are all unique in our own ways. You only need to believe who you are,” he said.
He called on young entrepreneurs to speed-up their works to commence exporting huge products to the wider world.
