enterprise

The Problem – The Idea!

For many years, youth unemployment has been a major problem in many European regions. The report of the UN International Labour Organisation published in 2010 indicates that under the economic crisis the global youth unemployment has reached a historic level. These young people are excluded from certain areas of social life, from self-determination and participation in economic and social development. Young unemployed involuntarily have to cut all ties to their region in order to move to where they can find better employment opportunities. This considerably affects regional social structures. The emigration, especially of high-qualified young people, leads to a loss of endogenous potential, which on the other hand is important for the revitalization of rural areas.

The lack of opportunities of this particular target group exacerbates the likeliness of social conflicts. Therefore, it is necessary to show young people alternatives to "traditional" employment. Self-employment can offer this alternative, if it is accompanied by targeted and professional start-up advice that responds to the young people’s needs. iq consult has reacted to this situation already in the late 1990s by implementing the project enterprise. It represents an alternative to traditional employment instruments, which in general young unemployed only attended not self-determined and only as a transitional solution.

The Target Group

enterprise is directed to dedicated young people up to the age of 27 who want to overcome or to prevent their existing or threatening unemployment with courage by establishing their own business. The enterprise support system is tailored to their individual needs and takes regional characteristics into account.

The Offer

The aim is to sensitise young people for self-employment and make them aware of alternative employment options in their region by showing them positive examples of young entrepreneurs and helping them to achieve a secure professional perspective. The enterprise process is built on the assessment of personal skills by a special profiling method. Afterwards, an individual schedule is created, which is divided into the four phases profiling, training and planning, starting, and growing. On this basis, enterprise offers a modular, targeted support programme. This includes: Co-working-spaces, business advice, qualification through seminars and self study material, access to microfinance, professional mentoring, coaching and a large network of other business starters and supporters.

The people working for enterprise are aware of the fact that not every idea will inevitably lead to a viable business concept. Nevertheless, any prospective business starter is taken seriously, not only to counteract the quite common negative self-assessment of many clients ("I don’t have a chance anyway!"). But also to give them the opportunity, to understand social and economic conditions in the process of starting a business and thereby develop new employment options.

The Successes

iq consult has been running enterprise in the Federal State of Brandenburg since 1999. In collaboration with iq consult, the concept has also been established in other regions. In total, over 10,000 young people were supported based on the enterprise concept. Today, more than 70 percent of the enterprise business starters are still operating. enterprise is enlisted as best practice project by both the EU and the OECD.

Contact:

Thorsten Jahnke

jahnke@iq-consult.com