Hands-on training

Page 10

Steven Saddleback is the youth co-ordinator for the National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association, which is putting on its first symposium for young entrepreneurs next month.

The focus will be on self-assessment and self-development for young people embarking upon a business venture or business career. The event targeting 19-to-30-year-olds also will include a trade show and career fair-related displays.

"It's going to be a four-day almost celebration-type symposium, where Aboriginal youth entrepreneurs are going to be coming (to Ottawa) from all over the country," said Saddleback. Attendees will include "people with their own businesses that are interested in business, or getting into business. It's going to be ... highly interactive. Different from any past traditional type of conference.

"There's going to be challenges issued-almost like a competition style. Over three days, delegates will be broken up into teams and they'll be participating in different activities for a final team prize of $5,000 for the first team."

Organizers expect about 300 at the symposium, which they are holding March 15 to 18 to coincide with post-secondary students' spring break. So far about 120 youth from 52 Aboriginal Financial Institutions (AFIs) affiliated with NACCA have confirmed attendance.

These AFIs are Aboriginal capital corporations, community future development centres and development corporations. They are locally controlled organizations that provide customized financial products and services in their respective communities.

Delegates can expect challenge events such as writing up business plans and completing various other tasks that will be assigned to them. In the case of the business plan, each team will write one, which will be evaluated .

Another challenge that will be given the young entrepreneurs will involve "negotiating. We're still in the midst of developing that one," Saddleback said on Feb. 5. However, he hinted it could involve negotiating with the RCMP.

"Interest starts to wane after a little while," Saddleback said, so "we want to keep it highly interactive, where they're competing against other teammates, learning hands-on, interactive networking skills, orienteering skills.

The National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association's Web site is at www.nacca.net.