YouLead! is a USAID-funded, four-year program administered by VEGA, and implemented by IESC to improve technical and vocational education and training, and increase the employability of young people in Sri Lanka. YouLead! will create a more skilled and flexible workforce by undertaking activities that support and strengthen students, teachers, institutions, and young entrepreneurs. For entrepreneurs, YouLead! will build a coordinated ecosystem out of the public, private, and civil society organizations working with start-ups. The program will place emphasis on linking in and building the capacity of financial institutions to maximize the use of financing facilities, both existing and new, such as the $80 million entrepreneurship fund from the Central Bank, or a USAID DCA guarantee.
YouLead!’s primary counterpart is the Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training (MSDVT). MSDVT does have a three-week entrepreneurship curriculum for interested students, but it is not well developed or promoted. A primary objective of this assignment will be to leave behind a more institutionalized capacity to manage and implement MSDVT’s entrepreneurship mandate. The volunteer expert will be expected to manage a small team in the achievement of this goal that includes: part-time curricula development expertise from YouLead! partner Skills for Life; additional international expertise as needed from international partner Global Communities; and one or more members of the MSDVT staff. It is expected that the entrepreneurship expert will spend about half of their time embedded in MSDVT.
The Volunteer Expert will report to the Entrepreneurship Director. Travel and lodging expenses for the volunteer will be provided.
It is expected that the primary activities of this assignment will be performed in the YouLead! office, located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Travel to the provinces will be required and coordinated with the Entrepreneurship Director and Regional Partnership Director.
It is estimated that this assignment will have a duration of 12 to 24 weeks beginning on around end May 2018 or early July 2018.
Responsibilities
* Design and help implement the ministry’s strategy for entrepreneurship training and facilitation;
* Design and initiate implementation of a strategy to identify and train youth entrepreneurs from within the existing student body MSDVT’s training institutes;
* Design and initiate implementation of a strategy to identify and engage potential young entrepreneurs who are outside the current TVET system;
* Develop recommendations for a revenue model in partnership with the Entrepreneurship Director and Sri Lanka’s financial institutions that can fund the training costs, as well as finance the best entrepreneurs;
* Work closely with the Sri Lankan entrepreneurship curricula experts to refine the existing entrepreneurship curriculum and recommending changes to the content, as well as the teacher credentials and teaching styles;
* Work with YouLead!’s Entrepreneurship Director and Regional Partnership Director to set up a mentoring program;
* Work with YouLead!’s volunteer coordinator to recruit private sector entrepreneurship mentors to support young entrepreneurs both at the pre- and post-investment stages;
* Work with YouLead!’s Career Development Director to include the mentoring program on the online platform being developed by the project;
* Provide business mentoring and coaching services to young entrepreneurs;
* Provide ‘real world’ and ‘market-driven’ recommendations and advice to business start-ups, based on international best practice entrepreneurship policies, and subsequently develop strategic business plans for promising and high-potential youth ventures and start-ups;
* Liaise with financial institutions and coordinate with YouLead! Entrepreneurship Director to develop a master list of financial products that are available to young entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka; and,
* Employ interactive pedagogy to engage youth entrepreneurs.
Qualifications
Minimum of five years experience in youth entrepreneurship development.
English language fluency
Work experience in developing countries is preferred.
Overview
The mission of Global Communities (formerly CHF International) is to create long-lasting, positive and community-led change that improves the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable people across the globe.
