
08 Sep The long awaited Entrepreneurship Training Program is almost complete!
EQWIP HUBs knew the driver behind a brand new entrepreneurship training program would have to be innovation. With the curriculum currently in the testing phase, one thing is clear; a new way of thinking is about to emerge.
Did you know, on average, nine out of ten start-up businesses fail? It’s true. To better understand the problem, Fortune Magazine did a survey of defunct start-ups and determined the top reason for failure was simple — they made products no one wants.
That’s where we come in.
We are committed to giving youth the skills they need to maximize entrepreneurial success. Developed in partnership with the Education Development Centre, the EQWIP HUBs Entrepreneurship Curriculum is designed to minimize failure by developing an innovators’ mindset amongst participants, transforming youth around the world into enterprising business owners, able to recognize viable opportunities and take control of their own futures.
The curriculum contains useful information on everything from analyzing market competition, to establishing a business plan, to finding innovative ways to grow a small business. Youth will build relevant skills and, when the course is over, have the confidence and know-how to launch their own small business.
Rather than placing the emphasis on developing a business plan, the EQWIP HUBs Entrepreneurship Curriculum supports youth as they develop a viable business model using a Business Model Canvas – a practical, easy to use tool.
It is made up of specific building blocks designed to ensure its users are approaching the development process in the most effective way possible. By the time they finish the course, participants will know:
- Who their customers are and why they are motivated to buy their product or service
- How the product or service can reach their customers
- The cost/revenue sources the business requires to operate
Using the Business Model Canvas, youth will be able to develop and summarize their proposal, so they can concisely articulate their idea and move forward with a clear plan. This comprehensive approach truly represents a new way of approaching entrepreneurship.
To begin testing the curriculum, over 20 participants took part in the EQWIP HUBs Entrepreneurship Curriculum Workshop in Accra, Ghana from July 12 to July 22, 2016. Participants included local business owners and advisors, EQWIP HUBs staff, facilitators and representatives from the EQWIP HUBs Network Partners. They were put into small groups and given copies of the curriculum to work through, and provide written feedback for, based on a set of criteria including gender equality, cultural context, accuracy, methodology, wording and terminology.
They took turns working through the assignments, giving demonstrations for the group to ensure the provided activities are clear and helpful. Ghanaian entrepreneurs and facilitators worked alongside project staff to ensure the curriculum reflected local market needs.
HARD WORK IN ACTION
The EQWIP HUBs Entrepreneurship Curriculum Workshop
The testing and adaptation process will be replicated in Peru, Bolivia, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania and Indonesia over the coming months to ensure the EQWIP HUBs Entrepreneurship Curriculum for each country reflects the local context.
EQWIP HUBs around the world will begin accepting training in January 2017. Soon, aspiring young business owners the world over will be able to turn their ideas and passions into thriving local businesses. Look out, world!