Five wards from the Homestead Place of Safety in Spanish Town, St Catherine, received insight about different careers in the beauty sector; and benefitted from financial empowerment training, when they attended the JN Small Business Loans (JNSBL) Barber and Beauty Seminar, at the JN Conference Centre, on June 19.
The wards, who were between the ages of 13 and 16, are being informed about sundry career options, as part of an initiative by the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), formerly the Child Development Agency, to introduce wards in their care to various professions.
“We brought them here to gain an understanding about various careers; and the opportunities for funding, for those who want to venture into entrepreneurship, when they leave our care,” explained Venice Campbell, health and social care assistant supervisor, Homestead Place of Safety.
“For those who want to become entrepreneurs, we did not simply want them to say, ‘I am going to open a business.’ We wanted them to understand how to manage their operations, the different areas they can explore; and what they needed to do, to enable them to receive funding,” she explained
Miss Campbell added that they were introduced to the seminar through the JN Foundation, who informed them about the benefits that members in the beauty industry received when they entered the JNSBL Barber and Beauty Battle.
“We normally do counselling sessions with wards to determine their interests; and, based on their response, we selected the ones who are present today, to join us. We also know that when they return to the facility, they will inform the other girls about what they learned,” she explained.
The young ladies also had the opportunity to observe barbers, hairdressers, nail technicians and make-up artists, working together to formulate a business plan and then pitching for funding.
One of the wards of the state explained that she had learned a lot from the seminar.
“Before I came here, I was unaware that there were so many different careers in the beauty industry, or that it was such a lucrative field. Now that I have learned how profitable it can be; and wide the field is, I will consider it as a possible career path,” she said.
OcKino Petrie, marketing manager, JNSBL, and chairman of the JNSBL Barber and Beauty Planning Committee, stated that the young women were invited as part of the competition’s thrust to expose as many persons as possible to: the different careers, the skills needed, and the opportunities which exist in the beauty sector.
“It’s a vibrant sector, which facilitates entrepreneurship; and has flexibility. Therefore, persons can set their own working hours,” he explained. “We thought that by introducing younger persons to the sector, they would appreciate that the industry offers vibrant successful careers and they would be their own bosses. “
The JNSBL Barber and Beauty seminar was mounted to update the 24 finalists in this year’s competition about: salon management practices, financial planning, opportunities for funding, and educational trends in the sector.
An added component to this year’s seminar was the division of the contestants into groups. Each group was required to come up with a business plan and pitch for funding. At the end, the winning group, “In the Streets Mobile Beauty Salon,” with a team of six persons, received $50,000, for their mobile salon business plan, designed to serve patrons in hospitals, golden age homes and the disabled.
Contact: Leighton Williams l JN Corporate Communications
