With today’s youth hiding behind iPhones and MacBooks, technology is being used as a crutch for social interaction among peers and superiors alike. Due to this lack of face-to-face contact, such necessary skills as effective communication and how to deliver a proper handshake are not being learned and leveraged for professional success.
Parents entrust schools to provide an all-around education; however, it has become apparent that students in traditional high school and collegiate programs are not being taught essential 21st century work and life skills. Pair this with the fact that in Greater Cleveland alone youth unemployment is 44 percent in urban areas and 18 percent in suburbs.
This is concerning for any parent, as it is in these formative years that basic skill sets and valuable knowledge are learned outside of the classroom and in the workplace. It is these work and life experiences that transcend throughout the years, contributing to well-rounded business professionals.
Youth entrepreneurship
What if there was a way to gainfully employ today’s youth while ensuring career success? Enter the concept of youth entrepreneurship.
Youth entrepreneurship is a growing phenomenon that has become a framework for teaching the 21st century work and life skills essential for success in today’s job market. Taking rootin and outside of the classroom, entrepreneurial curriculum and other programming is being produced at an accelerating rate and applied to entrepreneurship education at every age.
Students that are educated and encouraged to pursue the path of entrepreneurship typically become self-starting, creative and innovative problem-solvers.
LEAP, the country’s first high school entrepreneurship accelerator based in Northeast Ohio, is doing exactly that. Aspiring student entrepreneurs are taught key entrepreneurial practices, such as customer development and ideation. They are also armed with intrapersonal and interpersonal skills of collaboration, communication, creative-thinking, time and project management that make up efficient young professionals.
Innovative leaders, too
Many of these aspiring entrepreneurs do go on to become serial entrepreneurs, launching a series of businesses, but this is not true for all. Others are destined to become innovative leaders within the workplace.
As employers, we can agree that often we hire multiple employees to fulfill the responsibilities and qualifications outlined in a single job description. Candidates lack the varied skill sets and go-getter attitude needed to contribute to a specific department and the company’s overall success.
Entrepreneurs are jacks-of-all-trades. They have an innate ability to not only take charge of a project, but perpetuate teamwork and collaboration. These natural born leaders increase company morale and activate untapped creativity among co-workers.
Hiring such skilled individuals ultimately leads to higher employee retention, satisfaction and lower hiring costs.
Start ensuring your company’s future. Get involved now.
Participate in local entrepreneurship or business plan competitions by volunteering as a judge or mentor. Create an internship program that not only promotes intrapreneurship, but an innovative, entrepreneurial culture. Donate to local entrepreneurial programs in order to continue to grow cutting-edge curriculum. Support youth entrepreneurship; youth is the future of your company.
