Ceylon Biscuits inspires Future Entrepreneurs
View(s):Ceylon Biscuits Limited (CBL), the country’s top biscuit manufacturer, is helping to educate 300 school children through a Student Entrepreneurship Programme in collaboration with Young Entrepreneurs Sri Lanka (YESL).
Photo Caption - Participating Teams of the ‘Student Entrepreneurship Programme’ visiting Ceylon Biscuit Headquarters in Pannipitiya. Munchee, the flagship brand of Ceylon Biscuits Ltd recently sponsored nearly 300 school children through a Student Entrepreneurship Programme collaborating with the Young Entrepreneurs Sri Lanka (YESL). Approved by the Ministry of Education, the Young Entrepreneur Programme helps students develop entrepreneurial skills gaining hands on experience about businesses by forming their own companies and developing products that are taken to market.
The programme spearheaded by CBL Chairman Mineka Wickremasinghe, and as part of the Company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, introduces the selected school children to entrepreneurship through innovative sessions with the aim of inculcating knowledge and ability to apply insights gained into their education, career pursuits and potential entrepreneurial endeavors in the future, a company media release said.
Approved by the Ministry of Education, under the Young Entrepreneur Programme, the project helps students develop entrepreneurial skills and gain hands on experience about businesses by forming their own companies and developing products that are taken to market.
Schools from the surrounding neighborhoods of CBL factories such as Pannipitiya, Ranala, Ratmalana and Kandy were selected for the programme.
“At CBL we believe that programmes of this nature will give students concrete entrepreneurial skills and an opportunity to understand and experience how the private sector operates and in turn, the capabilities they need to cultivate and transform into future entrepreneurs,” said Nandana Wickremage, CBL Group Director, Head of Marketing and Sales.
The children gain knowledge on preparing accounts, how to form a company, register it and even how to select an appropriate business. After the sessions they are required to register an actual company, issue shares, form a Board of Directors including directors for Marketing, HR, Finance, Corporate Affairs, etc. Moreover, the new venture was required to generate funds and any profits channeled towards a CSR project of their choice.
Patrick Amerasinghe, President of YESL noted, “We conduct this programme according to the worldwide curricula. Our primary aim is not just to create youth who are capable of securing employment opportunities but to create and build youth who will be productive”.
Prior to its commencement, YESL, under the sponsorship of CBL, conducted sessions to educate and create awareness of the Programme among the principals and teachers of the selected schools.
Recently the students visited CBL Headquarters and presented the results of their work. The Evaluation Committee comprised of Senior Management from CBL and independent evaluators from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Chartered Institute of Accountants and the Central Bank which appraised the teams based on JA international guidelines.
Among the new ventures and products the students have engaged in were ornaments, handicrafts, paintings, wall hangings, food items (seeni sambol), key tags, greeting cards and even model answer papers.
On completion of judging, awards will be given to the best company, product, logo, business plan, annual report, etc. Individual performance too will be judged and awards presented to the best president, HR, Marketing PR, CSR directors etc.
The winning students have the opportunity to compete internationally at the Asia Pacific level among other selected global entrants