Publication: Can Unemployed Youth Create Their Own Jobs? The Tunisia Business Plan Thesis Competition
Date
2011-03
ISSN
Published
2011-03
Author(s)
Abstract
Tunisia, like the Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) region in general, has long experienced
unemployment, particularly among young university graduates.
Unfortunately, job creation in existing enterprises is not
sufficient to absorb a growing stream of graduates, and this
tendency is unlikely to change in the short run. A recent
Health District (HD) project is therefore trying to teach
university graduates to create their own jobs. The business
plan thesis competition uses the undergrad thesis writing
process to teach students to create an enterprise project
and write a business plan. Apart from professors, private
sector coaches mentor the students. Completed theses are
submitted to a competition, whose winners receive financial
support and further coaching to incubate the enterprise.
First results from the baseline survey and accompanying
qualitative interviews show the passionate take-up of the
program and warrant cautious optimism regarding the
emergence of an entrepreneurial culture. The recent events
in the MENA region, which first unleashed in Tunisia, have
side action supported by the Tunisian employment Development
Policy Lending (DPL).
Citation
“Brodmann, Stefanie; Grun, Rebekka; Premand, Patrick. 2011. Can Unemployed Youth Create Their Own Jobs? The Tunisia Business Plan Thesis Competition. MNA Knowledge and Learning Fast Brief; No. 83. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10900 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”