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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 21, 2001

Fact Sheet Inter-American E-Business Fellowship Program

"We will also sponsor the creation of a new Inter-American E-Business Fellowship Program.  This will give young professionals from throughout the Americas the opportunity to learn about information technology by spending time with U.S. companies.  And it will empower them with the skills and background to bring the benefits of these technologies to their own societies."

President George W. Bush
April 21, 2001

The U.S. Department of Commerce is launching a training program for Latin American and Caribbean information technology (IT) managers called the E-Business Fellowship Program.  This initiative builds on President Bush's interest in expanding educational exchanges that help develop human capital in the Hemisphere and furthers Summit themes of creating prosperity and realizing human potential.  It also responds to the Free Trade Area of the Americas' (FTAA) call to expand the benefits of electronic commerce to the region.

The program will assist economic restructuring in Latin America and the Caribbean by introducing business executives to U.S. methods of innovation and management, and by creating a cadre of influential executives who are predisposed to doing business with the United States.  It will also promote Hemispheric economic integration, a common business culture, and cutting edge business practices that will enhance the FTAA's competitiveness in domestic and global markets.

Under the Inter-American E-Business Fellowship Program, business professionals from industries throughout the hemisphere will be invited to participate in a program with U.S. businesses.  This 5-6 week training program would match Latin American and Caribbean business professionals from a variety of industries with selected U.S. firms.  The focus would be on traditional manufacturing, services, and high-tech sectors that use IT to improve efficiency and productivity, and to increase their customer base, looking particularly at supply chain management and the integration of IT in "backroom" operations.  The program will be launched this fall with a pilot program involving 20 Inter-American information technology managers.  Numerous U.S. companies, including Caterpillar Industries, Bell Helicopter Textron, and General Electric Company have expressed interest in participating in this program.