Young Entrepreneurs Get the
Tools to Build a Better Tomorrow
A key driver of job creation and economic growth is small-business development, which in turn is fueled by innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit.
In Africa, Junior Achievement has expanded the scope of its entrepreneurial programs and developed innovative delivery models to reinforce JA concepts and to deepen students’ learning experiences.
Innovation Camps are examples of this approach. The concept was created by JA-YE Norway, spread quickly across Europe, and is now taking place in Africa. The Innovation Camp is an intensive idea-generating workshop in which students collaborate to address a specific business challenge. The students are taken to an exclusive site for a 24-hour period and are given access to information and resources—such as the Internet and mentoring from business volunteers. They develop and present a solution to the challenge based on the knowledge gained from JA programs.
In Africa, where the initiative was sponsored by Barclays for the first time last year, JA students were given the challenge of marketing the benefits of services and security provided by financial institutions. In one case, the students developed a business plan to educate unbanked consumers about the safety of deposits and about how to take out a loan. (According to The African Executive, Africa has 230 million unbanked households.) In working on this challenge, the students had to identify the appropriate target-market segments, how to most effectively reach them, and how to measure results.
When the Innovation Camp starts, the team members often do not know each other; however, they must adapt to each other quickly and discover how to work together efficiently. During the “camp,” the students have the benefit of working with business volunteers who bring expertise in such areas as product development, finance, marketing, and presentation techniques.
As a result of the Innovation Camp experience, the students come away with a deeper understanding of the teamwork, problem-solving, and critical- thinking skills they learned from JA programs. The camp duplicates the real situations these young people will face upon entering the workforce—having to quickly gather information, accurately read personalities and come up with innovative solutions in high-pressure environments. By preparing African youth to actively and effectively participate in the global economy, JA is playing an important role in Africa’s economic development. Across the continent, the devastating combination of unemployment and poverty is sorely felt. Recent World Bank figures indicate that young people ages 15 to 24 constitute more than 200 million of Africa’s population—40 percent of the continent’s working-age population. Yet, 60 percent of them are unemployed, and nearly 75 percent live on less than US $2 per day.
Further demonstrating the relevance of JA programs, the organization’s Africa Region has experienced 82 percent growth over the last two years, giving more students the tools to help build and strengthen local economies.
“Today’s young people are tomorrow’s consumers, entrepreneurs, employees and leaders,” said Ahmed Khizer Khan, chief executive of Barclays Emerging Markets. “Working with young people to develop their skills and potential is important to the sustainability of any business. We are thrilled to be working with Junior Achievement, an organization with a great track record in creating programs tailored for young people which play a key role in helping them to realize their full potential.”
Speaking of her participation in Junior Achievement, Veila Lema, a form-six student from Tanzania, said, “Thanks to Junior Achievement, today I am an entrepreneur. I have learned ways of doing business, ways to advertise, how to select proper products, about good customer service and how to make a profit. I discovered that I have leadership skills, ability in leading meetings and in giving supportive ideas. My gratitude goes to Junior Achievement.”
The Origin of the Innovation Camp Concept
The Innovation Camp concept was developed by JA-YE Norway. Partners, including Nokia, ArcelorMittal and the British Council, have helped take the initiative across Europe. During the 2008-09 school year, Innovation Camps were conducted in 11 European countries and made an impact 8,678 students. Because of the initiative’s success in Europe, Barclays has supported the Innovation Camps across Africa. As a result, the concept has already been implemented in seven African nations, demonstrating the strength of JA Worldwide’s global network as best practices quickly spread from region to region, nation to nation.
To see JA’s Innovation Camps in action, Click Here.
