By Victor Salama
I’m excited to attend the Global Education and Skills Forum March 13-15th in Dubai and participate in a panel on entrepreneurship education and school reform. Hosted by GEMS Education, the conference is a great opportunity to meet and learn from leading international experts from education ministries, youth service agencies and global school management networks.
Entrepreneurship is a word on everyone’s mind, whether you are in the United States or overseas. Yet entrepreneurship education programs are very rarely a part of standard secondary school curricula. How can organizations such as NFTE affect education policy and make policy makers understand the importance of developing youth capable of competing in today’s marketplace? What types of business formation pathways can be created so that youth can move seamlessly from educational institutions to entrepreneurial opportunities, thus becoming possible employers instead of employees? Those are some of the topics on the agenda of the GESF conference, and I look forward to offering the NFTE program as a piece of the ever-challenging youth education and unemployment puzzle.
Victor Salama serves as NFTE's Vice President of Business & International Programs. Follow his updates on Twitter.
2 Comments
Today I was directed to NFTE
Today I was directed to NFTE by our CEO (Kaleem Caire of Urban League of Greater Madison). Check us out at www.ulgm.org. It's too soon to know what our agency's involvement will be, but I am intrigued.
My role is Member Development Facilitator and I teach a basic 5 week work readiness class as well as an advanced customer service class. I am an accountant and IT professional and have an MSW in Child Welfare. I grew up a missionary child in Africa.
I am at the age where I am beginning to plan retirement. Not only would I like to become involved where I live now, but I would like to talk with some of your international team about being an active part of taking this program to AFRICA. I have particular interests in South Africa and South Sudan, but the continent as a whole is ripe for this. Creating and supporting entrepreneurship in developing countries, especially when connected to basic education, will reduce poverty, stimulate the economy and empower its people - as you clearly already know. So why not AFRICA?
My seven year old son is in
My seven year old son is in first grade and his teacher took it upon her self to have a math sale. Each student had to create a product and sell it to their classmates. Long story short my son decided to create bracelets for the girls and book marks for the boys. I was told he sold out in less than 10 minutes. I posted pictures of his jewelry line on instagram and instantly he had orders for 15 bracelets. This one project was the beginning of him saying he wants to start his own business! As an entrepreneur myself and advocate for youth entrepreneurship, I am seeing a shift in our youth who want to create and be innovative. They are ready and hungry to be the next employers. They just need the opportunity to learn the skills. I am sure that NFTE will be at the forefront of this Entrepreneurial burst with our youth as will I be too. I am the CEO of Young Enterprising Sisters and I am looking forward to connecting with others to reduce poverty and teach girls who to compete in a global economy.
www.yesconference.org
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