BBN - Yes I Can Partnership

If you have read the GEM – Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report on South Africa, you will realize how important it is for the business community to play much more of a leadership role in our communities, particularly in the area of entrepreneur development and job creation.

BBN – Yes I Can is an opportunity for schools to help their learners (High School) to bridge the gap between completing their education and generating income in the market place. Some of the benefits includes the following:

1. Inspire many more of our young people to become Job Creators rather than Job Seekers.
   
2. Bridge the gap from the point where they leave school and successfully generate income in the market place.
   
3. Young learners are encouraged to make the right choices and then to stick to them if they want to become a successful entrepreneur, business person and role model.
   
4. We assist to them to grow as people of value which applies a 2-Tier Entrepreneurship approach in which they benefit as businessmen and women while also benefiting the community.
   
5. The 5 Mountain Entrepreneur Development System has been designed to make entrepreneur training fun, exciting, challenging and practical. This is important for young people going out into an uncertain world after leaving school where they need to become self employed if no jobs are available.
   
6. Nurturing a creative thinking mind is an important part of the training. In a competitive world being a creative thinker is a must for success. All have the potential to think creatively but it must be developed.
   
7. Learners meet with members of the local business community at special breakfast awards as they progress through the 5 Mountain System. They have a chance to address business and this is very exciting for our young aspiring entrepreneurs. These are important relationships forged with the business community before they leave school and way into the future as they grow to become successful businessmen and women in the community.
   
8. We are in the process of mobilising as many in the community as possible in support of BBN and Yes I Can. This will work to encourage our young entrepreneurs as they will have a ready client base to support their entrepreneur projects as well as when they start their business after their education.
   
9. The training gives young people confidence which we believe will impact their schoolwork positively as well as give them the courage to resist negative peer pressure. They are in partnership with business and this means a lot of encouragement.
   
10. Mentoring and coaching is provided through businessmen and women who are members of BBN and who are willing help guide our young people towards business success. This is particularly important to bridge that all important gap between failure and success for our young entrepreneurs.
    

We believe that only through a business alliance partnership with schools on this scale, supported by the larger community can we ever hope to begin reversing the findings of the GEM Report.

We would like to place on record our thanks and appreciation to Elkanah House High School, Table View for their immediate and positive response in allowing us to roll out our first project with six of their Grade 10 Learners. See Youth Feedback Report.