07 May Youth Entrepreneurship Program for the Eastern Caribbean (YEPEC)
Transformative Impact Across the Eastern Caribbean
From April 2012 to December 2015, the Youth Entrepreneurship Program for the Eastern Caribbean (YEPEC) ignited a movement across five nations—Barbados, Dominica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago. Designed and led by Youth Business International (YBI) and funded by USAID, YEPEC was more than a program—it was a bold step towards building entrepreneurial ecosystems for youth development, job creation, and regional resilience.
About the YEPEC Project
YEPEC’s mission was two-fold:
- Expand access to entrepreneurship training, mentoring, and financing for youth.
- Strengthen the capacity of Youth Business Trusts (YBTs) to serve as national anchors for youth business support.
Working with five Caribbean YBTs, the program provided training, mentoring, access to loans and grants, and built a shared Caribbean platform for scaling youth entrepreneurship impact.
YEPEC by the Numbers
Target
Result
New businesses launched with loans
82
Businesses supported with grants
38
Existing businesses strengthened
49
Total youth businesses supported
169
Jobs created
245
Youth reached with business support
1,725
Youth reached through awareness
191494
YEPEC’s reach extended to thousands of young people, with new business launches across diverse industries including food production, creative services, and eco-solutions. While some quantitative goals fell short, the quality of outcomes and systems built exceeded expectations, particularly in the areas of sustainability and regional collaboration.
Who Benefited from YEPEC
YEPEC’s reach skewed toward young women (44% in Barbados, 40% in Trinidad) and those aged 25 and older with post-secondary education. These young entrepreneurs were trained, mentored, and in many cases, granted or loaned funds to launch and grow businesses across a range of industries—from beekeeping and recycling to social enterprises for survivors of domestic violence.
Entrepreneurs reported:
- 80% were generating profits in Trinidad & Tobago.
- 75% reinvested profits back into their businesses.
- 63% paid themselves a regular income.
- A majority were able to cover their expenses most of the time.
Support that Changed Lives
YEPEC worked because it blended training, mentoring, and financing into a powerful support model. Each participating YBT developed localized approaches:
- Dominica Youth Business Trust (DYBT): Ran month-long intensive Entrepreneurship Development Programs, mixing achievement motivation with hands-on business planning.
- Barbados Youth Business Trust (BYBT): Introduced a 13-session competency-based training program, covering everything from customer acquisition to capital planning.
- St. Lucia Youth Business Trust (SLYBT): Partnered with Junior Achievement and the private sector to deliver training in financial literacy and marketing.
- Youth Business Trinidad & Tobago (YBTT): Designed life skills + entrepreneurship workshops, adapted for urban and rural youth.
- St. Vincent & The Grenadines Youth Business Trust: Created BizCAMP and ABCs for early-stage youth entrepreneurs.
These activities were matched by trained mentors, operational management systems (OMS), communications upgrades, and office enhancements across YBTs.
“YBTT’s training and mentorship programs were excellent. Success really depends on support—both at the start of your journey and as you grow.” — La Toya Burgess, Trinidad & Tobago
“YEPEC helped me build 21 pepper sauce flavors, and now I export across the region.” — Graceson John, Dominica
YEPEC's Legacy
YEPEC’s story isn’t just about numbers—it’s about learning. Some key takeaways include:
- Quality over Quantity: A higher-than-expected conversion rate from training to business start-up showed that deeper support often outperforms wider reach.
- Mentorship Evolution: While many mentorship experiences were impactful, mismatches in expectations led to improvements post-2015 through refined mentor-mentee pairing.
- Realistic Job Targets: The original goal of 2–3 jobs per business proved ambitious. Average job creation was 1.4 per business—an important data point for future programs.
- Regional Identity: The launch of www.youthbusinesscaribbean.com cemented a shared digital hub for entrepreneurs, mentors, and practitioners.
Quotes from the Ground
“I came into the program with a concept. Through YEPEC, I learned how to structure it into a real business. I now sell my product in three supermarkets and plan to export.” — Young Entrepreneur, Dominica
“The training pushed me to stop seeing this as just a side hustle. I started treating my business seriously—now I have a storefront and employees.” — Participant, Trinidad & Tobago
“Before YEPEC, I had no idea how to budget or manage income. Now I track everything, and I even started saving for expansion.” — Participant, Saint Lucia
“Having a mentor meant I wasn’t alone. When I wanted to give up, she reminded me why I started.” — Entrepreneur, St. Vincent & the Grenadines
“YEPEC changed my mindset. I used to think business was only for certain people. Now I know I have what it takes.” — Barbados Youth Entrepreneur
YEPEC wasn’t just a project. It was a regional catalyst, expanding the YBT network, launching youth-led businesses, and showcasing Caribbean youth entrepreneurship on global stages—from Milan to London to Barbados.
The program also introduced a regional summit (C-YES), strengthened national and donor partnerships, and influenced youth entrepreneurship policies. With 88+ donor/in-kind partnerships, 35 government interfaces, and 13 published case studies, YEPEC helped embed youth entrepreneurship into the DNA of Caribbean development.
YEPEC proved one thing: When Caribbean youth are equipped with the right tools and support—they build businesses, create jobs, and reimagine the future.