Photo: From left to right: Hazel Wright-O’Connor (Executive Director), Abigale Small (Student worker -Clerical Assistant) and Torian Wilson (Administrative Assistant).

Photo Credit: Contributed

By: Rashel Edwards

Innovative, resourceful and crafty are just a few adjectives that can be used to describe a typical student entrepreneur. The Morris Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) stands as one of the greatest support systems for student entrepreneurs in Jamaica. Whether the student entrepreneur blooming in business is facing great challenges, or does not even know where to start, MEC has the resources every student entrepreneur needs to take their business or business idea to the next level.

In Jamaica and across the globe many students enter into the realm of entrepreneurship while pursuing their academic dreams. For many, great success is realized during this dual pursuit of entrepreneurship and education. Many get to the point where they are able to use profits earned from their entrepreneurial activities to help fund their education. On the other hand, many face great struggles and fail at their entrepreneurial attempt. Many times failure occurs not because their ideas are not great but because they do not have the tools and resources that put them on the path to successful entrepreneurship. 

Jamaican students are privileged to have the Morris Entrepreneurship Center in their backyard. Located at Northern Caribbean University’s (NCU) Mandeville Campus, MEC is the perfect gateway for student entrepreneurs and prospective student entrepreneurs to access free business counselling and tools that will help them start or grow and maintain their businesses. With over sixteen years of professional experience in entrepreneurial training,  the Morris Entrepreneurship Centre has helped many student entrepreneurs achieve greatness in their respective businesses. MEC specializes in equipping small and micro business entrepreneurs with the necessary business tools.

Of course, being located at NCU, MEC ensures that student entrepreneurs are not left out of the mix, and they are able to access the same tools and benefits that general Jamaican entrepreneurs can access through MEC. MEC has a number of free as well as budget friendly services that student entrepreneurs can benefit from namely: business counselling, product/service idea development, business planning, and general marketing solutions. MEC also offers a number of short courses including: Mobile Game Design, Digital Animation, and Digital Marketing for Entrepreneurs.

The Managing Director of MEC Hazel O’Connor believes that student entrepreneurs matter and are vital to the growth and development of Jamaica’s private sector and by extension the country’s economy. She also asserts that MEC stands as an institution ready and waiting to give student entrepreneurs the support and resources they need to succeed. She added that they value student entrepreneurs and are committed to working assiduously with them from ideation to implementation.

A one stop shop for the buzzing, budding, or struggling student entrepreneurs, the Morris Entrepreneurship Centre is a must for the student entrepreneur who is serious about acquiring the tools needed to start or grow their business. If you are a student entrepreneur with a dream to get your business to the top, you can contact the Morris Entrepreneurship Centre at 876-9637437 or visit their website at mec.ncu.edu.jm for more information.