The NEXT Economy Program 2022

The Next Economy helps young people in Nigeria, Mali, Somaliland, and Somalia to discover their talents, gain confidence, and develop the skills they need to succeed in the workplace or as entrepreneurs. To meet the many ambitions of young people entering the job market, we provide a variety of programs in collaboration with our local partners.

After The Next Economy “the original” (2015-2019), we can continue with The Next Economy, phase 2 for another four years (2020-2023). Young people are given the tools they need to make the transition from school to work through job opportunities or entrepreneurial projects.

Our Partnership

Lagos, Abuja, and Jos (Nigeria), Bamako (Mali), Hargeisa (Somaliland), and Mogadishu (Somaliland) will all host Next Economy programs.

SOS Children’s Villages, Crosswise Works, and GoodUp have collaborated on The Next Economy. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for making the program possible.

The Next Economy is divided into four distinct training modules:

Core Life Skills Training: it’s all about communication skills, how to present yourself, team work and self-reflection. The trainings will help you succeed in the job market. After these trainings you can select to go further in Employability Training or Entrepreneurship Training.

Employability Training: these courses provide a mixture of soft and job readiness skills and support your entry into the labour market. You’ll obtain relevant skills required for employment in a company and are trained in the full cycle of job application. You will be prepared for the internship programme. Through individual support provided by a coach, you critically reflect on your personal career perspectives and identify opportunities for an internship or learning-on-the-job.

Entrepreneurship Training: It begins with entrepreneurship training on business canvasses, financial management, and product management. You are creating your own opportunity in the market. After completion you can start crowdfunding as a test for the viability of your business idea.

Incubation Training: moving your business idea into a solid foundation that can expand and grow. These trainings focus on sustaining and growing businesses and seeks to make them profitable such that they are able to hire new employees. Participants will be selected and this involves a check of their business plan, an assessment of human resources, and check of finances.

Application Process

Application closes February 26, 2022

Register for NEXT Economy Program

Learn more about the NEXT Economy

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