An innovative approach towards creating the appropriate ecosystem to support young migrant entrepreneurship through education & training, mentoring and access to finance

Evidence has shown that migrants are more likely to start businesses than their native-born peers (OECD, International Migration Outlook, 2011). However, entrepreneurship among migrants can only in part be explained as a result of the migration selection process. For many migrants (both low or high-skilled), entrepreneurship is a strategy to overcome obstacles with regard to labour market integration and to upward social mobility. Creating the appropriate ecosystem - with targeted training and education (and education of trainers), mentoring, networking, financial support - is thus crucial to enabling prospective entrepreneurs to fulfil their dreams and reach their objectives; exactly what the project YMCB is seeking to accomplish in Austria, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands.

In this project, ZSI is leading WP3 which comprises of developing and implementing a mentoring scheme in the target countries.

Team:

• Dipl-Übers. Carmen Siller (project leader)
• Juliet Tschank, M.A.
• Mag. August Gächter
• Dr. habil. Ursula Holtgrewe

Section: Work and Equal Opportunities

Partners:

• Adecco Training
• Entrepreneurship and education for post-conflict societies
• Microfinance Centre
• OXFAM Italia Onlus
• The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) - Financial Inclusion and New Entrepreneurship (FINE)
• European Association for Information on Local Development (Coordinator)

Related Articles:

• News: Informationsveranstaltung zur Gründungsunterstützung für junge Migrant_innen
• News: Gründungsunterstützung für junge MigrantInnen und Migranten
• News: We want you!

Tags: capacity building, entrepreneurship, equal opportunities, migration