A groundbreaking entrepreneurship initiative is transforming career prospects for young women in St Michael Central, Barbados. Seventeen aspiring beauty professionals have embarked on a comprehensive six-week training program in professional make-up artistry, designed to convert creative talent into sustainable business ventures.
The innovative ‘Faces of the Future’ program, launched at the Andrew Alleyne Community Centre in Station Hill, represents a strategic effort by recently elected MP Tyra Trotman to expand economic opportunities and practical skills development within her constituency. Specifically targeting women aged 16-35, the initiative provides completely free hands-on instruction in professional make-up techniques delivered through two weekly cohorts meeting on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Financed through a substantial $22,000 government grant administered by the St Michael Central branch of the Barbados Labour Party, the program allocates $11,000 to each training group. Participants benefit from world-class instruction delivered by internationally trained make-up artist Sapphire Moore of Makeup Academy Barbados, who guides them through advanced professional techniques while simultaneously introducing fundamental business management principles specific to the beauty industry.
During the program launch, MP Trotman emphasized the initiative’s role within a broader constituency development strategy aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and equipping young women with income-generating practical skills. “We’re cultivating an environment where we can grow entrepreneurs,” Trotman stated, noting that the training represents the crucial first step in providing participants with both certification and professional capabilities to establish self-sufficient enterprises without relying on government assistance.
The comprehensive program includes six weeks of practical instruction complemented by professional make-up kits for training purposes. Upon completion, each participant will receive formal certification and a complete professional kit enabling immediate service provision. The entrepreneurial component further requires participants to develop business identities and formally register their enterprises with Business Barbados, with Attorney Trotman personally assisting through the registration process to ensure proper legal recognition.
This initiative forms part of a wider constituency push to support self-employment and small business creation among young residents seeking alternative career pathways in Barbados’s evolving economic landscape.