Youth Entrepreneurship at CIPE

youth-entrepreneurship

Youth play a vital role in shaping the future of every country in the world and yet they are often excluded from the economic and political decision-making process.  For those countries in the world that are striving for democracy based on market-oriented reforms, young people must play an active role as youth entrepreneurs expand opportunities, unleash individual initiative and help to cultivate individual citizens who have a stake in society and democratic governance.

CIPE recognizes the important role youth play in fostering democracy and the free market in developing countries.  As a result, CIPE focuses on building skills through entrepreneurship and management programs and supporting chambers of commerce and business associations that provide networking, services, and forums for young leaders.

Through educating youth on entrepreneurship, business management, and civic leadership, CIPE works to help provide youth with the necessary tools to become effective leaders.  Innovative CIPE programs such as Chamber LINKS and Think Tank LINKS, provide talented young professionals from chambers of commerce, business associations, and think tanks worldwide the opportunity to be fellows at host organizations the United States. Following the conclusion of the program, these young professionals are able to take what they learned from their host organizations and share their innovative ideas at home, in an effort to help their organizations advocate for the private sector.

CIPE’s overseas programs, like the Young Entrepreneurs Forum, EmprendeAhoraandTashabos, provide civic and entrepreneurship training for students and young graduates. To date, these programs have reached more than 50,000 young people and have led to the creation of nearly 1,000 new businesses.  Additionally, CIPE sponsors an annual Essay/Blog Competition, inviting young people to share their ideas on how to create opportunities for youth to strengthen democracy and the private sector in their own respective countries.

Amol Nadkarni was a 2014 Knowledge Management Intern at CIPE.

Published Date: August 27, 2014