Business training program targets minorities

Print Story

Email to Friend

Discuss this story

The business training program begins in June.

By DAVID SKOLNICK

CITY HALL REPORTER

YOUNGSTOWN — Organizers of a program to provide business training to minorities, women and economically disadvantaged city residents say the main goal is to give people an opportunity to have financial independence.

The Youngstown Entrepreneurial Academy will select 15 people to participate in a three-hour course to be held once a week over a 12-week period beginning in June that would focus on business training. Those participants would then attend an advanced training course to be held once a week for 10 weeks.

The academy is a partnership among the city, the Mahoning Youngstown Community Action Partnership, Youngstown State University's Small Business Development Center, the Regional Chamber, and the National Center for Entrepreneurship. The center is involved in similar workshops in Cleveland and runs Kent State University's Center for the Study and Development of Minority Businesses.

Costs

The Youngstown program will cost about $2,500 a person with the city and MYCAP using federal money it receives for such initiatives to pay that fee. The expense is largely for instructors' salaries and books and materials, said Herman Hill, the academy's coordinator.

Hill is also the city human relations commission's director of business and compliance through an agreement Youngstown has with MYCAP. In that job, Hill has run the city's Minority/Women Business Enterprise program for less than a year.

The academy and a business incubator for new start-ups will be housed in about 5,000 square feet of unoccupied space at MYCAP's 7,500-square-foot office at 101 E. Federal St., Hill said.

The results of the city's Minority/Women Business Enterprise program have "been mixed to lackluster," Mayor Jay Williams said. "Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent. While we've had some success, the investments haven't reflected results we'd like."

Each potential participant will go through a screening process, and those having education — at least a high school diploma or a general equivalency diploma — and a good business plan will have an advantage, said Bessie House, the National Center for Entrepreneurship's president and chief executive officer.

"Our goal is to create new businesses and develop economic independence," she said.

skolnick@vindy.com

Tuesday, April 10, 2007