Business Knowledge & Vision

Learning to become an entrepreneur through sport and play

We support young people in finding decent employment, building successful futures and taking charge of their careers. We do so by integrating business and entrepreneurship training in schools and vocational training institutions. By equipping them with relevant life skills and knowledge, we contribute to reducing youth unemployment and combating undereducation.

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Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Updated May 2025

Web presence

2015

Established

320 2022

690 2023

4.4K 2024

8

Countries

Students upper

Target group

We hope to see an education system that better prepares children and young people for the realities of the modern world—where learning goes beyond academic knowledge to include practical business skills, entrepreneurship, and essential life skills. We envision students transitioning more confidently from school to work, equipped not only to succeed professionally but also in their personal growth.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

One in five young people worldwide is not in employment, education or training (NEET). Many of those who have an occupation endure inadequate or even dangerous working conditions, predominantly in the informal sector or low-skill jobs. Women and people from marginalised groups face additional barriers and discrimination and often find themselves in precarious positions. Furthermore, a mismatch between the skills and competences taught in education systems and those required by the labour market, leaves many ill-prepared for the workforce. This transitionary phase of life can be difficult for young people, and without proper support, they risk losing confidence in their abilities, be discouraged or frustrated, which in turn can push them towards harmful behaviours such as substance abuse, criminality or violence and make them prone to illness and exclusion.

This innovation was created to respond to a need for children and young people to be better prepared for the world of work after leaving school, so they learn to navigate the labour market, know their abilities and how to communicate them to potential employers, or even have the basic knowledge and resources to start their own business.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

In practice, based on the original training programme curriculum, called "Business Knowledge & Vision", developed for a pilot project in Nepal between 2012-15, we continue to develop, adapt and contextualise this training programme and teaching content and materials to different contexts worldwide. Teachers or coaches are trained, teaching resources are tailored to the needs and interests of the targeted groups of students, the programmes uses interactive, sport and play-based approach to enhance the learning outcomes and foster life skills development that are relevant to the job market. Oftentimes, the entrepreneurship training is paired with technical vocational training, so that young people acquire both technical and entrepreneurial skills. Finally, a variety of supporting schemes are offered such as mentoring, networking events, or start-up capital.

How has it been spreading?

The programme has now been successfully replicated with implementing partners based in Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

Get in touch with us, we'll be happy to discuss and share ideas. We always welcome opportunities to create new partnerships, disseminate good practices, and further adapt our training content to reach more young people.

Implementation steps

Needs assessment

Define the target group's profile, their age, their needs, their interests, their education level and background, etc. as well as the local market context and employment opportunities.

Develop the training programme

Based on exisiting resources (previously developed by our organisation, SA4D, our partners or external), determine the exact content of the employability skills and entrepreneurship knowledge programme, including the topics that will be specifically addressed, the duration, frequency, level (basic or advanced), etc. Write the session plans accordingly, using different interactive activities, following the sport and play-based methodology, such as role play, card games, and more.

Train the trainers

Once a first draft of the training programme / curriculum is developed, train the trainers on how to use the manual to guide the training sessions with the participants. The ToT should include explanations of the sport and play-based methodology, as well as mock sessions for the trainers to try the games out and gain confidence to implement them in class. They are also encouraged to share ideas for improvement, variation, etc.

Implement the programme with participants

The trainers implement the training with the participants, following the sessions as outlined in the toolkit/curriculum, and according to the set duration and frequency, ensuring regular attendance and reaching the set learning objectives for participants to improve their knowledge in business, increase their chances of finding a job or starting their own small business. Supporting schemes such as mentoring, start-up capital competitions, or networing events are also included.