Youth entrepreneurship is of particular importance in MENA. Officially, one in four young people (aged 18-29) in the region’s labor market do not have jobs and one in ten adults find themselves in the same position. Unofficially, these numbers could be much higher, especially when considering the large prevalence of informal unemployment and underemployment in the region. With such diminished job prospects, an emphasis on youth entrepreneurship in MENA makes good sense. If young people cannot find jobs, they can create their own and ideally generate jobs for others.
A growing pool of initiatives is pushing forward the youth entrepreneurship agenda in the region. Non-profit INJAZ is a leader in this field with over ten offices across the region and multiple programs that guide youth through the business creation process. Additionally, large institutions such as the International Labor Organization and the Arab League have created trainings, research and other programs to support this cause. Universities in the region have also entered this space, with several creating on-campus incubators and others teaching entrepreneurship courses to students. Even corporations such as Shell have programs across multiple programs supporting youth entrepreneurs.
The approaches and outcomes of such programs vary, yet they share a common philosophy: give young people the resources to create their own companies so that they can take agency over their own economic futures. In the MENA region it is a critical learning experience for young people.
Original article by Jamil Wyne
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