Entrepreneurship & Skills Development

Sub-Saharan Africa is faced with challenges related to demographic change. With an exponentially growing and increasingly youthful population, the region is threatened by the major challenge of high youth unemployment and high unemployment among other marginalised groups such as women and the disabled. It is estimated that the region will account for 80 percent of the projected 4 billion increase in the global population by 2100.

At ODS we view the demographic trajectory on the continent as an opportunity to turn the population growth into a demographic dividend for poverty reduction and economic growth. We therefore work on the design and implementation of initiatives that focus on enhancing the employability and successful entrepreneurial engagement of youth, women, the disabled and other marginalised group. We believe that having more marginalised groups successfully participating in business enhances the livelihoods of these groups and contributes significantly towards poverty alleviation as well as local and national economic growth.

Our work involves:

• The application of participatory approaches in the training of youth and marginalised groups in technical and vocational skills (TVET);
• Entrepreneurial skills development;
• Business management skills and SMME development (including training on good corporate governance);
• Linking marginalised groups to new and existing value chains and supply chains, as well as assist them in resource mobilisation including getting access to finance for their businesses;
• Providing support and capacity development to existing businesses to grow and expand;
• Providing counselling and mentorship to both start-ups and existing businesses;
• Supporting the development of business-friendly policies and legislation