Scotiabank Vision Achievers 2016 Participants

Vision Achievers Participants

Caption 1
Participants in the Scotiabank Vision Achievers 2016 cohort pose after being officially welcomed to the programme. Twenty Five businesses entities were welcomed into the programme that will take them through an intensive capacity building exercise over seventeen weeks. 

Seated (from left) Dudley Walters, Vice President Small Medium Enterprise Scotiabank, Yanique Forbes Patrick, Vice President Marketing Scotiabank, Hon. Karl Samuda, Minister, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries and Marcia Woon Choy, ActionCOACH.

Caption 2
Hon. Karl Samuda (left), Minister, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, is greeted by Peter Dudley Walters (right), Scotiabank's Vice President Small and Medium Enterprises when he arrived at the launch of the Scotiabank Vision Achievers Programme 2016. Looking on is Yanique Forbes Patrick, Vice President Marketing, Scotiabank.

[May, 2016] Participants in the Scotiabank Vision Achiever Programme 2016 will benefit from over $20-million in business investment, based on the offerings and prizes for this year's activities. The announcement was made by Dudley Walters, Vice President Small and Medium Enterprise, at the launch held yesterday, May 11, at Scotiabank's Constant Spring Financial Centre. 

Twenty-five business entities selected from a total of one hundred and twelve (112) applicants, were welcomed to the programme at the event. They represent a cross-section of business categories including pharmaceuticals, tourism, professional groups, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, distribution, retail, events management, and catering.

"Today, I would like to congratulate those of you who have been selected to be part of this very exciting capacity building programme", said Mr. Walters in his remarks. "Based on feedback from our last cohort of participants, some of whom have reported very impressive results with up to 50% increase in business, we know will this experience will only enhance your business abilities" he continued. 

Those selected are CB Cabling Technologies Limited, Angels Heath Care, C.O.T. Properties/Pineapple Court Hotel, Clifton's Machine Shop, David & Subs Outfitters, Di Foto Shoppe Limited, Fashion Addiction, HBG Associates, Hood Daniel Well Company Limited, Jmax Hair And Nail Club, Kaluga Kafe, Krystal Clear Productions, Longville Park Pharmacy, Lumitech International Ltd, Mag Chemicals, Monica Archat Hughes M.A.R.T. Enterprize, Most High Estates Traders, NIC's Pastries, Practical Endodontics, Sun-Bloc Awnings & Tents Limited ,The E-Biz Centre Limited ,The M Group Limited T/A Candy Craze Candy Bar & Creamery, Waves Beach, Websters Developers Limited and YZ Industries ltd. These companies are located in parishes across the island including Manchester, St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St. Catherine, St. Ann, Kingston and St. Andrew. 

The Scotia Vision Achiever programme, will see participants exposed to a 7-module course over 17 weeks that will include training is sales, systemizing the business process, marketing and understanding business financials. Participants will also benefit from access to one-on-one business consultations, and assistance to create effective business, marketing and financial plans. The programme is led ACTIONCoach, Marcia Woon Choy, who has established herself as the consummate business coach, guides many SME's to long term success. At the end of the last programme, participants had implements such revolutionary changes to their businesses that over 40 additional jobs were created, and all saw improvements in their earnings.

A range of prizes will be offered to the top three performers including a special grant of J$500,000 from the Development Bank of Jamaica; business solutions valued at $360,000 from Digicel business; an brand campaign valued at $360,000 from eMedia and digital marketing solutions of $150,000 from Jamaica Yellow Pages and more.

Remarks were also brought by the Hon. Karl Samuda, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, who has encouraged the youth to focus on finding innovative options through agriculture. "The future of Jamaica lies in our ability to use the soil effectively", he said. "With business innovation we will be able to provide growth and job creation that everybody in Jamaica not only wants but deserves". He encouraged young people with brilliant minds to focus their energies on becoming innovators in this area. 

Scotiabank has, since 2011, been offering capacity building courses as part of their contribution to the development of businesses in Jamaica. In 2015, the Bank revamped the offerings, and renamed the programme Scotiabank Vision Achiever.

About Scotia Group Jamaica Limited (SGJL) Scotiabank has been in Jamaica since 1889 and is the premier financial institution in the country with just over 2,000 employees and 35 Branches Island wide. SGJL is a subsidiary of Scotiabank (Canada) and offers a diverse range of products and services including personal, commercial, and small business banking, wealth management, insurance, and mortgages. SGJL is an award winning institution having been named on numerous occasions as the Bank of the Year and Best Bank in Jamaica by international financial publications – the Banker, Latin Finance, Euromoney, and Global Finance magazines. SGJL has JMD$ 414 billion in assets (as at January 31, 2015). For more information please visit www.scotiabank.com/jm.