Studie en Beroepenmarkt Curacao - SBM 2008 a success

The 15th Study and Career Fair ended with a performance by rapgroup Los 3scogidos and the finals of the Aan tafel met... (at the table with) project. The organization is very happy with this edition.

The students who participated with Aan tafel met... presented their plans to start new companies - a hotel with a spa, a digital accountany office, a new magazine for the youth, an iguana farm and a consulancy for the medium and small sized businesses.

Daisy Casimiri and André Curiel of the organization are content. ``Participants were all very positive and everybody was very relaxed. Also students were well prepared. We are content.''

How much should the entrance fee for an iguana farm be, how much does fitness equipment cost, which is a catchy name for a magazine? All questions to which participants of Aan tafel met (At the table with…) where seeking an answer on October 22 were seeking an answer.

The participants did a lot of work since the first edition in September, when they decided for what enterprise they would make a concept business plan. They chose a magazine, a healthspa, an iguana farm, an accountants office and a trust office. In recent weeks they have frequently visited the library and various companies and estimated the costs for setting up a business. The lunch meetings are held in the auditorium of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Curaçao.

``Every week we went to the library for three hours,’’ said the 18-year-old Rebecca Thodé, a third-year pupil of Ban Bria, studying accountancy. ``Next year we must also submit a business plan, so this project will certainly help me.’’ With a lot of help from Melrose Bloem of Bloem Law Offices Curaçao she and the other group member work on a plan to set up a accountancy office.

Daynahara Boelbaai and Selasa Pourier want to start an iguana farm. Not because they like iguanas but because tourists would be interested in these reptiles. A visit to the Curaçao Ostrich Farm and information from the internet helped them with their plan. Hetty van den Ouweelen of the Curaçao Hospitality And Tourism Association (CHATA) is their coach. Van den Ouweelen also assists another group that plans to set up a hotel with a healthspa, a gym and a sauna.

Suzanne Hensbergen, who helps as a trainee in the organization of the Study and Career Fair and Aan tafel met… is satisfied: ``The participants are very enthusiastic and they have really nice plans. I think we will see very interesting presentations at the fair.

The concept business plans will be presented during the Career and Study Fair. A jury will judge which group has the best, most original and interesting plan. The winners receive a prize.

About 20 future chefs, lawyers, hotel owners and economists from Curaçao took an important step in their career. On Wednesday September 17, they attended the lunch meeting "Aan tafel met... (At the table with...) in the auditorium of the Curaçao Chamber of Commerce and Industry. After a welcome speech by Suzanne Hensbergen, a trainee at Mon Art Productions, André Curiel gave a short explanation about this initiative of the Study and Career Fair Curaçao. `Aan tafel met...’ aims to help students in realizing their dreams.

The students get guidance from four experienced entrepreneurs, namely Popi Verboom of Gallery Alma Blou, Hetty van den Ouweneel of the Curaçao Hospitality And Tourism Association (CHATA), Melrose Bloem of Bloem Law Offices Curaçao and the Elbert Windt of Fatum and a board member at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Curaçao. Divided into groups and guided by these four experts, the participants examined the possibilities to transform their individual dreams into five concept business plans, such as setting up a magazine or starting a hotel.

In October, during the second edition of Aan tafel met..., these plans will again be discussed collectively, so in the meantime, the participants should develop the concepts as much as possible. Eventually, they will present and defend their plans during the 15th edition of the Study and Career Fair on November 12 and 13 in the World Trade Center. The Curaçao Study and Career Fair is organized under the auspices of the Curaçao Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Youth Power Lunch 2008 was a great success. Click here for a full story in English with pictures or click on one of the links below for the press releases in Dutch or Papiamentu.