The Seychelles National Youth Assembly (SNYA) is an educational forum whereby members are provided with leadership potential which helps enhance their ability to research and compile facts and argue on issues impacting on the lives of the youth. All SNYA representatives are appointed through election by their peers.

SBSA election was held on 22March 2024 whereby all learners from the age of 14 to 17yrs were eligible to vote. There were three Candidates contesting for the position of SNYA representative for SBSA, namely Tarik Lespoir, a Diploma in Accounting and Finance Year 1 learner, Zara Esparon and Mellisa Andre, both learners in Year 1 of the Diploma in Human Resource Management.

Tarik Lespoir was elected as SBSA representative on the SNYA. His role is to advocate, represent and bring forward the opinion from learners of the academy and the youths nationally. He has a one-year mandate.

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2024 saw the signing of not one but two Memorandums of Understanding simultaneously. The first one was a renewal of an existing MOU with Air Seychelles Company Limited which was first signed in June 2019. This MOU aims at strengthening an existing relationship and enhancing cooperation between SBSA and Air Seychelles Limited. Both parties agreed to renew the agreement to work together to establish and develop academic exchanges and co-operation in human resource and capacity building through teaching, training, research and development, and other mutually agreed activities.

The second MOU, a completely new one leading towards more collaborative work with The Guy Morel Institute, has as its aim the fostering of educational collaboration between SBSA and TGMI with a view of ensuring smooth transition of learners from SBSA to TGMI through the Government of Seychelles Scholarship Scheme;developing professional and academic exchanges to contribute to the national needs regarding human resource development.

Both MOUs, signed on 30 January 2024, also engage the collaboration of both TGMI and Air Seychelles Limited in hosting SBSA learnersfor their practical training through the Work-Based Experience Programme.

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SBSA, a proud blood drive organiser awarded First Place in blood donation for June 2022 to June 2023, continued its humanitarian effort to help preserve life in 2024.

Thus far two blood drives have been conducted: the first one was on 12 March where 18 units in total were collected; and the second was on 21 May where 22 units were collected.

The academy plans to hold at least one more blood drive in Semester 2 of the Academic Year where they hope to see the participation of some alumni and parents alongside the staff and learners.

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SBSA believes in showing their support to good causes and one such cause is the fight against cancer. Each year during Cancer Week, the academy conducts fund raising activities and all cash collected is donated to the Cancer Concern Association. During the week of 16 to 20 October 2023, staff and learners were encouraged to wear pink and make a contribution each day. Donation to the Cancer Concern Association was made to a representative, Mrs Dinaz van der Lans. SBSA will continue its support of this cause to help make a difference in the lives of those battling cancer.

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In 2022 SBSA and SRC signed an MOU which aimed at helping the two entities enter into close collaboration to establish and develop academic exchange through capacity building including teaching, training and research development.

Through that MOU, in 2023, SRC professionals facilitated various sessions related to the Seychelles tax system and its regime. From these sessions SBSA lecturers were able to gain in-depth understanding of the topic and access SRC’s educational materials, all in a bid to support SBSA in the development and subsequent teaching of the local taxation course in both newly improved diploma programmes. The said programmes were officially accredited by the Seychelles Qualifications Authority in September 2023.

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The Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) ILO programme was successfully conducted with all Diploma in Business Management and Administration Year 3 learners as well as participants from other Professional Centres in 2023.

Four SBSA staff members, Mrs Rasika Basnayake, Mr Peter Too, Mr Nicholas Oduor and Mrs Maria Solin,underwent training with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conducted between 2019 and 2020. This was funded through the support of the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the aim of which was for the four staff members to become "Start and Improve Your Business" (SIYB) trainers.

The Start and Improve your Business Programme (SIYB), is a 5 modules package which was developed by the International Labour Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland. The module is the largest Business skills development programme in the world, as it is widely recognised, having presence in over 100 countries.

At SBSA, the trainers are using 3 of these modules under this programme, namely (GYB) Generate your business, (SYB) Start Your Business and (IYB) Improve Your Business. As ILO Licensed Trainers, they conduct business skills development training for learners, private individuals and businesses.

The team of four conducted minilectures for GYB during the Global Entrepreneurship week of 2020 at the launching of the week, which was held at SBSA on 21 October 2020, wherepast SBSA learners who are now fully fledged entrepreneurs were given the opportunity to share their experiences alongside other, more experienced entrepreneurs.

Over the years SBSA has offered different specialised entrepreneurship training under the SIYB modules and in 2023 the academy started engagement with other Professional Centres, whereby learners from STA, SMA, SIT and SIAH joined SBSA learners for the 5 days’ workshop and they received their certificates for the Start Your Business (SYB) module.

The way forward is to implement the training on a larger scale as part of the incubation process being hosted by Division of Science, Technology & Innovation (DSTI) in which participants could gain knowledge and skills in several modules such as Marketing, Costing but most importantly designing their business and financial plans. In doing so, this will help participants to prepare to pitch for grants or loans.

The SIYB team is looking forward to being able to train other potential entrepreneurs who want to start a business and who already have a concrete business idea through the Start Your Business (SYB) modules. The programme is a combination of five days training, field work and after-training support, which will help participants assess their readiness to start a business and to prepare a business plan and evaluate its viability.

The Improve Your Business (IYB) training will benefit existing entrepreneurs who have the need to improve their business andthe academy is reaching out to train those who need such support through collaborations with DSTI, SENPA, SNYC and other agencies. The team remains ever committed to ensuring that SBSA always lives its motto: “Gateway to Opportunities” and they aim to make these opportunities available to the people of Seychelles.

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