Cooperatives – A driver for Sustainable Development Goals was the focus of a one-day workshop for University students which was held yesterday at the University of Technology of Mauritius, La Tour Koenig. The aim was to raise awareness on the importance of placing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the core of cooperative societies so as to address the issue of poverty.
Some 120 students currently in the first and second year of their Degree Courses attended the workshop organised jointly by the National Co-operative College (NCC) and the University of Technology of Mauritius. It was conducted by the statistician, Ms C. Rughoobur, who gave an overview on the relevance of SDGs in the field of entrepreneurship. She outlined the role of young entrepreneurs as future drivers of economic development and emphasised the need to inculcate SDGs in their mindset.
According to the International Labour Organisation, cooperatives are sustainable enterprises that are owned and run by membership, and are built on key values such as cooperation, empowerment, good governance and solidarity. They are recognised as potential contributors of the 2030 Agenda for the implementation of SDGs.
National Co-operative College
The NCC, operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives, is an institution offering award courses in capacity building for cooperative entrepreneurship. The college has been set up to provide appropriate training to potential entrepreneurs so as to boost productivity and help them operate in an efficient manner. It aims at creating an impetus for entrepreneurial attitude and culture of innovation among local entrepreneurs.
Source: Government of Mauritius