Entrepreneurial Education 4 career Readi

YONER Liberia has designed education 4 career readiness as a game-changing entrepreneurial program which seeks to develop young Liberian with entrepreneurial skills and tools by working into  teams to develop scientifically proven social business solutions/ideas through critical thinking, conducting research in their communities, identifying social challenges, problem framing, business plan development, ideation, prototyping, pitching, and turning those identified social problems into business solutions/ideas. This program will first target high school and college student to help them come up with business concepts that would enable them become self-empowered and be prepared for the labour market. Our innovation involves interactive hands-on-experience training and research. Teams will carry out entrepreneurial visits to companies with whom they aligned to validate pricing, evaluate their market, and further test out their business solutions among their target market. They will be equipped with core entrepreneurial skills including, business management skills, financial literacy, marketing, and business operations.

United Nations further reports that 85% of Liberian youth are unemployed. Liberia is a post war country - divided, with a fragile peace and sporadic instability. Since the formation of Liberia, there has been only the public sector that attracts and employs. Competing for public jobs has led to the long civil wars in Liberia which claimed the lives of over 250,00 people and extended in the sub-region as a result of power struggle, greed, misunderstanding, idleness and conflict and violence over the all-time depending on foreign aid or donor support for every development. Entrepreneurship is new concepts in Africa, Liberia in particular, but has been considered globally as a single-most solution to youth empowerment and having great potential, particularly in Liberia for creating an alternative career path for youth, especially young women in driving their communities’ socioeconomic development and gaining self-empowerment

Entrepreneurial Education4Career Readiness will recruit partner with schools and colleges, recruit students, form them into teams, recruit mentors/advisors and pair them, and through a month-long ‘Mentorship Institute’ they will work together with the guidance of their assigned mentors/advisors to develop scientifically proven social business solutions/ideas through critical thinking, conducting research in their communities, identifying social challenges, problem framing, business plan development, ideation, prototyping, pitching. Their business solutions/ ideas will be submitted into full business plans and pitch decks, designed around SDGs for fostering a global inclusive economic development and harnessing youth self-reliance. YONER Liberia will further organize a ‘Venture Café’, a week-long co-creation and interactive learning and worklab and sector specific content and business experts will further mentor student teams by reviewing their business concepts and giving feedback for improvement, and other core entrepreneurial skills including, business management skills, financial literacy, marketing, branding, and business operations, public speaking and presentation, elevator pitching, dress code for business, among others.  YONER Liberia will host a live business investment pitch Competition, dubbed “The Dragons’ Den”, and teams will pitch their ventures to a Panel of Judges dubbed “The Dragons” where the best ventures are selected and provided seed- funding for business start-up support.

Entrepreneurial Education4Career Readiness targets secondary and college students in Paynesville City. Paynesville is Liberia’s 2nd largest and most populated city with over 500,000 people.  Youth between the ages 15-35 constitutes about 70% of the total population including high school students, high school graduates and university students/ graduates; aspiring and existing entrepreneurs; at-risks (Zogos), teenage mothers, school drop-out , sex workers ,youth who had no formal education. Representing about 70% of Paynesville’s population, youths have remarkable power to influence, drive, and catalyse the municipality’s inclusive economic and social prosperity and its overall peace and security.  Yet, due to a multitude of factors, this demographic finds themselves in vulnerable employment, with limited venture-driven skills and tools attainment, and limited to no opportunities to forge a path toward a better future.

Entrepreneurial Education4Career Readiness is aligned with “Good Jobs & Inclusive Entrepreneurship” and ground breaking in a couple ways.

1. The public sector is often the largest employer in Liberia

2. The growing youth demographic is either unemployed or underemployed

3. There is a mismatch between current academic curriculum and the challenges of our time meaning many graduates are not job-ready and 

4. The pipeline and ecosystem to support innovation needed for national and regional transformation has several missing ingredients including local experts, local businesses and a disconnected informal sector. 

Our solution is an end-to-end and integrated idea that prepares youth for the knowledge economy, which creates jobs, boosts and connects the creative and innovation ecosystem of Liberia to other African nations.  Also, our solution is innovative and ground breaking in a couple ways:

1) We co-exist with the national learning infrastructure and curriculum and use personalized learning for students

2) We are virtual and physical 21st century learning hub in Liberia

3) We have a problem-driven and project-based curriculum informed by case studies across the continent

4) We are sustainable because we also curate, incubate and accelerate solutions that come out of the academy thereby creating value and making the academy available for all. 

Our vision is simple. The times have changed and we have different challenges. So must our approaches to solving those issues. Entrepreneurial Education4Career Readiness will be a national of 21st century learning for solving social justice issues while creating moral, social and economic value that narrows the inequities of our time

Strategies for recruitment & Implementation strategies. These strategies are the only applicable medium available and accessible in Liberia. Liberia is a virgin entrepreneurial ecosystem.

• Online application/ hardcopy distribution
• Notification of applicants (email and phone call) upon the closure of call for application
• Notification of applicants(email and phone call) for recruitment information session
• Conducting of interviews using two platforms– online via zoom platform and in-person
• Notification of finalist (email and phone call)
• Payment of 80% of program enrolment fee (Mobile money payment)
• Distribution of training materials and logistics to fellows, facilitators and trainers(email)
• Recruitment of Teams’ mentors/advisors and pairing (virtually)

We have employed these technologies over the last three years  and successfully designed, organized and implemented the Liberia National High School Entrepreneurship Program and the Liberia Entrepreneurship Academy, which had recruited, trained and supported more than 5,000 high school and university students.

At a glance:

Website: http://diamondchallenge.org/liberia/  & http://www.gistnetwork.org/content/gist-i-hub-monrovia-%E2%80%93-yoner-liberia

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/yonerliberia2008/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/yoner-liberia/103/831/880

Twitter: https://twitter.com/yonerlib2008

Links to Liberia First High School Entrepreneurship Competition Live Pitch event:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=764105267116642&id=395619310631908

https://web.facebook.com/newdaylib/videos/764206370439865/

https://www.facebook.com/newdaylib/videos/764122960448206/

https://www.facebook.com/farafinashow/videos/2003836166546665/

Equipping young people with entrepreneurial skills and tools including hard skills in critical thinking, problem solving, application and business development, and social impact theory and providing them with seed-funding to initiate their ventures, this will empower youth to be prepared for the knowledge economy to find jobs and create their own businesses which will eventually create more empowerment opportunities.

As an outcome, outlined are some of changes expected in Liberia:

• Indigenous Solutions to problems
• Decrease in the dependence on Govt.
• Tremendous contribution to the national GDP
• National Pride with more successful young people
• Creation of more job opportunities though social impact investments
• Employability and positive contribution on their role in society
• Awareness of donors’ impact and contribution
• Raise the profile of Liberia’s business sector
• Address the mismatch between current academic curriculum and the challenges of our time
• Build an ecosystem to support innovation and creativity needed for national transformation
• Prepare youth for the knowledge economy to create jobs
• Encourage youth to start a career in tech innovation and social business
• To create wealth locally through private sector investments
• Nurtured entrepreneurial spirits.
• Youth served in sessions on business planning and writing and the development of strategic business and marketing plans
• Enhanced awareness of attitudes, skills, aspirations, strengths and weaknesses.
• Self-awareness with respect to career preferences – sector and/or role type.
• Confidence in controlling their future.
• Understood of employers expectations.
• Small business are started by youth individually or as a group
• Seed grants and loans are provided to youth to start their own businesses 
• New businesses developed and launched in fresh produce market in Liberia thus leading decreased in youth violence, crime, and delinquency and increased in self-employment, employment and earnings
• Acted upon employability competencies.
• Positive impact on socio-economic conditions.
• Career potential is increased.
• Ability to relate their choices to the socio-economic context and general well-being
• Improved capacity to make informed decisions using their practical learning and experience

Impact/Achievements:

• About $100,000 raised and managed in grants for programs over the past three years to implement  tech entrepreneurship and social venture-driven programs;
• 5,000+ high school and university students in five counties trained and supported to learn and apply social entrepreneurial, science, and information and community technology skills to their lives, create social businesses and to solve social problems in their communities;
• 25 new social businesses developed around the SDGs and being launched to channel business and finance for social good;
• 50 idea-stage social business solutions in incubator;
• 259 secondary students trained in social entrepreneurial and technological skills;

52 new social businesses conceived and developed by secondary students

My short-term goal is to secure an international scholarship to study at one of the best business and entrepreneurial-driven colleges in the USA in order to complete a Master’s Degree in Social Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management/Planning. Also, I want recreate YONER Liberia’s brand and build a new strategy that can both strengthen our internal operations and scale our impact. 

As outlined below, I have identified four key priority areas.

 Strategic Priorities:

1. Fundraising and Financial Management

2. Diversifying YONER Liberia’s funding sources and securing $5million funding to support the scaling of YONER while facilitating the transition to become financially sustainable.

3. Strategic Initiatives

Develop a ten-year strategy and work breakdown structure to scale YONER programs and achieve financial sustainability.

3. Operational Excellence, administration and Logistics

Instituting quality program designs and executing quality programming while utilizing an effective monitoring framework to measure and improve programs.

5. Rebranding and Market positioning

Mobilizing and leveraging digital tools and resources to brand YONER and effectively communicate the programs and activities.

 And, my long-term goal is to procure 5 acres of land, which will be developed as Liberia’s first Youth Premier Impact Innovation Space and use as the future and office complex of the organization, to include a state-of-the-art conference center, a co-working space, a design thinking lab, a Pitch Theater and office and desk spaces, among others, etc, in order to accelerate entrepreneurial ventures and to coordinate and manage operations at a single location.

As of 2020, YONER Liberia wants to transition from a youth-led nonprofit organization to a social enterprise, seeking to create programs and services that can both create impact while generating revenues. In order to execute on this new plan, the team has identified five strategic priorities, that when achieved, will achieve this new goal.

Strategic Priority:

1. Fundraising and Financial Management

Diversifying YONER Liberia’s funding sources and securing a three-year $435,000 funding to support the scaling of YONER while facilitating the transition to become financially sustainable.

During the past 12 years, YONER Liberia has strived to build credibility and create impact across the youth industry in Liberia. Organization has contributed to creating social change, using young people as the major driver. The experiences during this period have both presented challenge and lessons that the organization is leveraging to achieve a better market position.

As of 2020, YONER Liberia is transitioning from a youth-led nonprofit organization to a social enterprise, seeking to create programs and services that can both create impact while generating revenues. In order to execute on this new plan, the team has identified five strategic priorities, that when achieved, will achieve this new goal.

Strategic Priorities:

1. Fundraising and Financial Management

Diversifying YONER Liberia’s funding sources and securing a three-year $435,000 funding to support the scaling of YONER while facilitating the transition to become financially sustainable.

• Strategic Initiatives
• Quality Program Management

Develop a ten-year strategy and work breakdown structure to scale YONER programs and achieve financial sustainability.

1. Operational Excellence, administration and Logistics

Recruiting a full-time team and strengthening the capacity of both team members and deliver quality programs and services while instituting quality internal systems. 

Instituting quality program designs and executing quality programming while utilizing an effective monitoring framework to measure and improve programs.

1. Rebranding and Market positioning

Mobilizing and leveraging digital tools and resources to brand YONER and effectively communicate the programs and activities.

YONER Liberia is a fully registered, social enterprise in Liberia, with a mission to advance entrepreneurship education and technology among Liberian youths with the goal to make them career ready and self-sufficient. Entrepreneurial Education4Career Readiness is a flagship Youth Entrepreneurship, Youth Unemployment and Skills Development Program.

YONER Liberia currently has 5 full time staff, playing key position, over 100 volunteers and support staff.

We have the passion and have a daring vision to empower other young Liberians and street children who have had limited to no opportunities, so that they become independent and self-reliant.Also we have the minimum skills and qualification to achieve our mission and we have a huge presence within the youth industry of Liberia.

Liberian Ministry of Youth & Sports and Education, endorsed our entrepreneurship program and provide technical and logistical support

US Embassy Monrovia & US Department of State's Office for GIST Initiative, funders of precious phases

University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship Program (programming and financial support)

Obama Foundation:Africa Program (capacity building support)

Unleash Innovation Lab (capacity building support)

Liberian high schools and colleges/universities

Local  and national youth organizations

UNDP Liberia

Youthconneckt Liberia

Minimum fees payment by participants/fellows of the academy and other customized professional training programs -(Applications Support: scholarships, conferences, fellowships & Resume/CV development, etc
Minimum user-fees payment by network members and others who want to make use of our facilities and services (events, meetings, conferences, etc) 

15% of net-profit on sales (monthly, quarterly and/or yearly) from successful incubated and accelerated solutions that come out of the academy, High School Competition and other Programs

10% overhead costs from grants/ donations

To raise about 1 million USD  through grants/donations or partnership which will be used to procure 5 acres of land and develop as Liberia’s first Youth Premier Impact Innovation Space and use as the future and office complex of the organization, to include a state-of-the-art conference center, a co-working space, a design thinking lab, a Pitch Theater and office and desk spaces, among others, etc, in order to accelerate entrepreneurial ventures and to coordinate and manage operations at a single location.

As of 2020, YONER Liberia is transitioning from a youth-led nonprofit organization to a social enterprise, seeking to create programs and services that can both create impact while generating revenues.
During the past 12 years, YONER Liberia has strived to build credibility and create impact across the youth industry in Liberia. Organization has contributed to creating social change, using young people as the major driver. The experiences during this period have both presented challenge and lessons that the organization is leveraging to achieve a better market position.

In order to execute on this new plan, the team has identified five strategic priorities, that when achieved, will achieve this new goal.

Strategic Priorities:

1. Fundraising and Financial Management

Diversifying YONER Liberia’s funding sources and securing a three-year $435,000 funding to support the scaling of YONER while facilitating the transition to become financially sustainable.

• Strategic Initiatives
• Quality Program Management

Develop a ten-year strategy and work breakdown structure to scale YONER programs and achieve financial sustainability.

1. Operational Excellence, administration and Logistics

Recruiting a full-time team and strengthening the capacity of both team members and deliver quality programs and services while instituting quality internal systems. 

Instituting quality program designs and executing quality programming while utilizing an effective monitoring framework to measure and improve programs.

1. Rebranding and Market positioning

Mobilizing and leveraging digital tools and resources to brand YONER and effectively communicate the programs and activities.

In order to execute on this new plan, the team has identified five strategic priorities, that when achieved, will achieve this new goal.

Strategic Priorities:

1. Fundraising and Financial Management

Diversifying YONER Liberia’s funding sources and securing a three-year $435,000 funding to support the scaling of YONER while facilitating the transition to become financially sustainable.

• Strategic Initiatives
• Quality Program Management

Develop a ten-year strategy and work breakdown structure to scale YONER programs and achieve financial sustainability.

1. Operational Excellence, administration and Logistics

Recruiting a full-time team and strengthening the capacity of both team members and deliver quality programs and services while instituting quality internal systems. 

Instituting quality program designs and executing quality programming while utilizing an effective monitoring framework to measure and improve programs.

1. Rebranding and Market positioning

Mobilizing and leveraging digital tools and resources to brand YONER and effectively communicate the programs and activities.

MIT faculty or initiatives, or Solve Members,

Diversifying YONER Liberia’s funding sources and to technically support it rebranding strategies

Entrepreneurial Education4Career Readiness is aligned with “Good Jobs & Inclusive Entrepreneurship” and ground breaking in a couple ways. In Liberia, there are challenges that we have identified:

1. The public sector is often the largest employer

2. The growing youth demographic is either unemployed or underemployed

3. There is a mismatch between current academic curriculum and the challenges of our time meaning many graduates are not job-ready and 

4. The pipeline and ecosystem to support innovation needed for national and regional transformation has several missing ingredients including local experts, local businesses and a disconnected informal sector.