Mentoring for Entrepreneurship and Youth Leadership Development: The Perspective
Young people are leaders of the future. They deserve to be treated as we would treat any succession planning candidate in any society, organization, institution and company. Often these candidates enroll in some type of development program to prepare them for the future challenges they will face. They could and should include a mentoring development program.
The Mentor Development Program could include projects that expose young people to the opportunity to practice leadership as early in their lives as possible. The most effective programs are those that are designed by youth, for youth, under the tutelage of seniors and / or experienced members of society, institution, organization and / or company.
The effectiveness of youth leadership development and mentoring programs is seen in the evolution of youth leadership qualities. Hence the need to create a space in NGOs, community organizations and clubs for young people to exercise leadership. The country is encouraged to introduce national youth development organizations, projects and programs to motivate young people to take their leadership development to the next level.
The mentoring guidelines for youth leadership development programs are the foundation on which to package the programs. These guidelines are based on the experience of many years, but also on the lessons of benchmarking local and international programs. They evolve over time and genuinely support youth development initiatives.
The programs that require the intervention of tutorials can cover diverse areas such as education, community development, art, culture, sports, entrepreneurship, business, etc. Therefore, they are genuinely part of the real sectors and areas of need for development in the country. Mentoring programs are expected to be informed by the needs of society in these sectors and areas. Making resources available for such programs, including the mentoring program, should be viewed as an investment in the future.
These youth leadership programs could have a specialized dimension, for example entrepreneurship development. Developing young people in entrepreneurship early in their lives caters to the supply of future business men and women. Most young people respond positively to programs dedicated to developing entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship opportunities are primarily in the technology sector. The 4th Industrial Revolution is the main reason this is the case. Youth startup of technology is becoming the norm. However, this represents a challenge for many mentors, as they require an understanding of the context from which these youth are functioning.
Entrepreneurship will always be the most direct employment option for young people. As more companies lose jobs, more people will see entrepreneurship as the direction to go. This increases the demand for mentoring young entrepreneurs. Mentors help young entrepreneurs access markets through their network. Most governments have incubators and programs to support entrepreneurship. These incubators are making mentors available to young entrepreneurs.
It is important that young people make a change and see entrepreneurship not as a means of survival but as an opportunity to innovate solutions that address the challenges of society. As they are young, it is expected that they continue to pay attention to their integral development. Participation in youth entrepreneurship development initiatives should not become a replacement for their education and development. Mentors must continue to challenge young people to explore many options about their future. We don’t expect them to skip certain stages of their development and become adults too soon. They must enjoy the trip of a lifetime.
The business case for early youth leadership and entrepreneurship development is very strong. We are laying a solid foundation for future responsibilities as entrepreneurs and leaders in society. They could become important additions to the value chain in various economic sectors in their countries and internationally. Young people are future business ambassadors for their countries.