Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) Youth Entrepreneurs Support (YES) Initiative for young Entrepreneurs

The Youth Entrepreneurs Support (YES) initiative by the Africa and Europe Committee of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) seeks to support Youth entrepreneurs in both regions and to stimulate youth businesses to strategise resiliently for stability and recovery. Activities span from data collection to understanding challenges, webinar series, discussion with experts, boot camp, skill-building sessions and advocacy strategies.

YES seek to:

1. Produce a regional study of challenges faced by Youth businesses and document good practices cum solutions to support Youth Businesses recover and mitigate future challenges.
2. Conduct Webinars and Boot camp aimed at building capacities and equipping business owners with skills.
3. Support youth business recovery and advocate for Youth Enterprise funds.

YES webinar series and boot camp will:

1. Explore key issues relating to Youth businesses.
2. Build the capacity of Youth Entrepreneurs and Innovators.
3. Provide a platform where business owners can network with themselves and experts.
4. Encourage sharing and learning of best practices.
5. Facilitate acquisition of skills geared towards finding solutions to challenges.

Background

The Coronavirus pandemic which has placed the world in a disposition of unprecedented economic shock has largely affected the economic security of young people.

Youth startups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Youth innovative entrepreneurship and businesses which are the areas that contribute to the stability of the economic security of young people are the sectors negatively impacted by the pandemic. Interestingly, this is only an amplification of already prevailing situations of poor social security, reduced funding, capital generation and increasing unemployment before the pandemic.

The downside of the pandemic effects on youth enterprises is therefore worth noting. These businesses stand the risk of losing funding opportunities since funds are now being diverted. In addition, there has been reduced work hours in the event of the lockdown and the drastic reduction in market prices for products. These consequently resulted in the collapse of businesses with inevitable accompanying effects of job losses and crippling of economies.

Nevertheless, there are inspiring stories of young entrepreneurs innovating to support their communities and families, driving their businesses forward despite the pandemic. While this is a crisis situation, it can also be seen as a window of opportunity to promote innovation, ensure sustained business strategies, strengthen the resilience of youth enterprises and improve partnerships.

It is in this vein that we roll out this initiative to mitigate these challenges and ameliorate the innovations of youth businesses in the face of the pandemic.

This is a closed event; only selected persons will be contacted.

When:

This will be held from the 7th August 2020 – 29th August 2020.

Where:

Online (Zoom Platform): Selected participants will receive a link to join.

Register Now for the CYC Youth Entrepreneurs Support (YES) Initiative

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the CYC Youth Entrepreneurs Support (YES) Initiative