Tertiary Education Minister Fazal Karim has described the launch of the National Incubator Council as "a deliberate, co-ordinated, intervention strategy that will foster collaboration, cooperation and co-creation."
The launch took place recently at UTT's Agora Campus, Off Munroe Road Exit, Uriah Butler Highway, Charlieville. The Council was fortified through the signing of a memorandum of understanding among the National Training Agency (NTA), the University of T&T (UTT), Youth Employment Partnership Programme (Ytepp), UWI Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business (ALJGSB) and the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of T&T (COSTAATT).
Karim said the National Incubator Council is labour market centred and does not add to the "graduate glut" or "discouraged graduate" but will create responsive and responsible entrepreneurs.Incubatees present from various agencies were specially recognized and Karim said they were moving from "wage earners to wage payers."
NTA chairman Kelvin Mahabir said the incubatees, through the OJT Programme, will be categorized and receive the following stipends: Level 1 –$2,500, Level 2 – $3,600, Level 3 –$6,200, Level 4 –$7,200.
The minister said his 90 day action plan for the Council consists of its first national consultation and exhibition, registering incubatees to be certified, the launch of On the Job Training Mentorship Entrepreneurship (OJT ME), development of a research agenda informed by the Higher Education Research Agenda (HERA), publication and presentation to the national community of the success stories.
Karim underscored need for local case studies of entrepreneurship to be recorded. The Council has been asked to look at the linkages between entrepreneurship and the school curriculum.