New Programs for Youth Social Enterprise
2 August 2013 at 4:31 pm
A program for the next generation of young social entrepreneurs will provide training and support for youth run social enterprise after an injection of Victorian Government funds.
Not for Profit social enterprise support organisation Social Traders received $600,000 for its New Gen Youth Social Enterprise programs which will support young people looking to start their own social enterprise or gain entrepreneurial and leadership skills.
New Gen Crunch is a six-month program for new youth-led social enterprises, helping them to develop business plans and become start-up ready through mentoring, coaching, and group training.
New Gen Thrive is a 12-month program to support existing youth-led social enterprises to become viable and sustainable organisations through small group training, coaching and access to various tools and resources.
Social Traders Managing Director David Brookes said the New Gen program would give emerging social enterprises the skills to launch and creating opportunities for them to access investment.
“Social enterprises are uniquely placed to address the social and environmental challenges of today by applying market-based business strategies and distributing their profits to benefit the community,” he said.
Victorian Youth Affairs Minister Ryan Smith said young people were vitally important to the future of Victoria.
“The New Gen Youth Social Enterprise Program will support the establishment of new social enterprises and enhance the financial viability of existing social enterprises,” he said.
Melbourne City Mission CEO Ric Holland said City Mission’s experience in social enterprise through the Western Young People’s Independent Network has shown it is a fantastic way to engage young people and give them real skills, workplace experience, and a potential future career.
A New Gen Crunch ‘warm up’ activity will be held on September 6 to enable young people to pitch their ideas to a panel of social enterprise experts, as part of a half day workshop.
Young people and youth-led social enterprises can register for the New Gen Crunch ‘warm up activity’.
New Gen Crunch applications close on October 4 2013. More information is available here.
New Gen Thrive applications are not yet open but people interested should register with Social Traders e-bulletin.
