Editorial
It’s been a challenge getting to the bottom of what’s happening between business and society this year. Professionals in the area of CSR have been lamenting cuts in budget at a time when more and more people are in need of corporate help to address the fallout from suppressed oil prices and a concomitant burgeoning of unemployed youth and young adults. Unfortunately for many, with a “last in, first out” policy adopted by most businesses, it’s the new graduates and young hires that are feeling the effects.
So how are businesses working to address the obvious impacts for unemployed youth? This year the CSR asked businesses to tell us what they are doing in the area of youth development and entrepreneurism to combat the growing numbers of qualified-and-keen-to-work young persons seeking job opportunities.
Our writers have been looking at those alternatives to traditional employment as a new imperative for job seekers. Some of the responses are focussed on training and education in non-traditional businesses like the arts – specifically steel band music as a commercial opportunity, micro-enterprise initiatives in rural communities, capacity building for NGOs and CBOs, training for new entrants into the word of work, and strategic partnerships with law enforcement agencies. Beyond the traditional interventions in CSR, one writer has looked at environmental responsibility in caring for the oceans and how we dispose of waste. Certainly, this is an area that can be looked at for creating new jobs and business opportunities.
In this issue, writer Jaysen Francis speaks to millennials about the “gig economy” as he promotes start-ups (SOHOs) as the career alternative. Saarah Khan, another features writer, believes that “the role of the government and policymakers is vital in fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem.” See her article “Fostering Youth Enterprise – Why We Should Do It and How”
Atlantic’s Lead Agency supports community entrepreneurs and markets, and turns business into profit centres for families and sole traders, while bpTT’s Mayaro Resource Centre is a model for how collaboration can transform communities and create self-sufficiency. Nestle Needs YOUth (NNY) management trainee programme is enhancing the talent pool to create a cadre of business-ready young professionals.
“Jobs are not enough” says writer Kyle Santos as he addresses the private sector’s role in creating a safer society. Also on the issue of crime, the CADV is promoting zero tolerance in the area of domestic violence in T&T. Mindful that critical support systems such as the police, courts, health services and other social services were woefully inadequate and unresponsive to victims’ needs, the CADV is investing time in training and encouraging businesses to support the call.
Lisa Burkett of NGC tells us how “making a difference to at-risk youth requires a balance of patience and support, a keen balance of resources, dedicated time and a simple respect for humanity.” Her company’s work with Police Youth Groups and in the field of Arts & Culture she believes, have the potential to propel young persons to purposeful and fulfilling careers.
Shell Trinidad is back in the Savannah after a 44 year hiatus. They have resumed sponsorship of the Invaders Steel Orchestra. Derek Hudson, Vice-President of Shell Trinidad and Tobago describes the partnership as “an ideal opportunity to support indigenous culture and promote the national instrument.”
Just as we were about to go to print, T&T launched its campaign to eradicate the use of styrofoam from 2019, with an immediate ban on the importation of styrofoam products into the country. It was timely for us as our cover story introduces a new area for social investment – CSR of the ocean and waterways. The supermarket plastic bag debate and coastal debris in the Dominican Republic are stories not just for T&T but lessons for the region.
Donna Ramsammy
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
