The United Nations Development Programme Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (UNDP IICPSD), funded by its partner, the HP Foundation, organized the first session in the series of trainings with Vhembe TVET College.

Global youth offers a great potential to increase employment, productivity, and innovation globally. However, existing economic, social, and political challenges as well as the effects of COVID-19, are preventing youth from supporting growth and sustainable development for their countries. Entrepreneurship and digital transformation play a vital role in addressing development challenges in different regions and support nations to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In that sense, there is a need to foster entrepreneurial activity to achieve sustainable development and respond to the effects of the pandemic. Recognizing the need to build capacity towards entrepreneurial and 21^st century skills is crucial to respond to the needs on the ground and make sustainable development possible.

UNDP IICPSD and the HP Foundation acknowledge the importance of this need and are responding with a collaboration that is localizing HP LIFE on the ground in different countries. HP LIFE is the HP Foundation’s free IT and business skills-training program. It is accessible online, offline, and in person offering more than 30 courses in eight languages for entrepreneurs, business owners, and lifelong learners all over the world. It is also an adaptable educational resource used on the ground by trainers, educators, and mentors to enrich curricula, support business creation, and improve employability skills.

South Africa is one of the countries with significant entrepreneurial potential. The country has well-established markets and infrastructure that support entrepreneurial activity. Despite the pandemic, South Africa experienced positive entrepreneurial activity in 2021.[1] In 2021, half of the entrepreneurs who just started their businesses think that the pandemic provided new opportunities they wish to pursue.[2]

Taking the opportunity to support entrepreneurial skills development, UNDP IICPSD, in collaboration with HP LIFE Center, organized HP LIFE orientation training in South Africa for the staff of Vhembe TVET College. The College is one of the most progressive colleges in the country offering effective learning opportunities for different groups. Thanks to its wide coverage, the College has the highest enrolment rate nation-wide. The orientation training aims to increase awareness about the HP LIFE program and share information on how it has been conducted over the past years, achievements, and highlights of future opportunities. The training session was carried out by an innovative group of internationally certified HP LIFE Master Trainers and involves unique learning techniques that the HP Master Trainers developed over the past two decades.

The collaboration will continue with delivery of HP LIFE Training of Trainers sessions in March.

[1] Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. 2021.

[2] Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. 2021.