NBII start-up programme kicks off
11 March 2021 | Education
In times of unprecedented downturn in the local as well as global economy and due to the widespread impact of Covid-19, youth unemployment is at its highest.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), over 67 000 graduates were unemployed in 2018, with the overall youth unemployment rate in Namibia standing at 41.17% in 2020.
In light of this, the Namibia Business Innovation Institute (NBII) appeals to NUST students, staff and alumni to sign up for the annual NBII Start-up Acceleration Programme.
The programme includes a series of workshops in ideation, market research, business model development, business simulation, prototyping and pitching.
“The call is open to early-stage start-ups with impact-driven, innovative and sustainable solutions, and the workshops are explicitly tailor-made to offer support, business coaching and mentoring to emerging and aspiring entrepreneurs within the NUST community,” says Bernice Ndungaua, Manager for Entrepreneurship and Incubation at NBII Namibia.
Promoting entrepreneurship
“The mentality of graduating and then seeking a job should be discouraged because attaining a qualification simply does not guarantee a job anymore. It is imperative that we promote an entrepreneurial culture among our students and staff alike in order to stimulate motivation and reduce dependency on local government and the private sector to provide jobs,” she says
The workshops are designed to help participants master the fundamentals of establishing their own businesses. The benefits include refining business ideas and making them more innovative, learning how to create viable business models, mentoring and coaching as well as learning how to effectively pitch business ideas.
At the end of the workshops, a competition will be held, where seven start-ups will be selected and incubated to jumpstart and grow their businesses. Participants who already have well researched business ideas are encouraged to apply directly into the competition.
Aspiring participants are encouraged to apply online here and complete the application form on or before Wednesday, 17 March 2021.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), over 67 000 graduates were unemployed in 2018, with the overall youth unemployment rate in Namibia standing at 41.17% in 2020.
In light of this, the Namibia Business Innovation Institute (NBII) appeals to NUST students, staff and alumni to sign up for the annual NBII Start-up Acceleration Programme.
The programme includes a series of workshops in ideation, market research, business model development, business simulation, prototyping and pitching.
“The call is open to early-stage start-ups with impact-driven, innovative and sustainable solutions, and the workshops are explicitly tailor-made to offer support, business coaching and mentoring to emerging and aspiring entrepreneurs within the NUST community,” says Bernice Ndungaua, Manager for Entrepreneurship and Incubation at NBII Namibia.
Promoting entrepreneurship
“The mentality of graduating and then seeking a job should be discouraged because attaining a qualification simply does not guarantee a job anymore. It is imperative that we promote an entrepreneurial culture among our students and staff alike in order to stimulate motivation and reduce dependency on local government and the private sector to provide jobs,” she says
The workshops are designed to help participants master the fundamentals of establishing their own businesses. The benefits include refining business ideas and making them more innovative, learning how to create viable business models, mentoring and coaching as well as learning how to effectively pitch business ideas.
At the end of the workshops, a competition will be held, where seven start-ups will be selected and incubated to jumpstart and grow their businesses. Participants who already have well researched business ideas are encouraged to apply directly into the competition.
Aspiring participants are encouraged to apply online here and complete the application form on or before Wednesday, 17 March 2021.
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