MSM successfully delivered virtual trainings on Project Management and Youth Entrepreneurship & Community Enterprise

In August two virtual trainings given by Vin Morar took place in our Tailor-Made-Training project in Liberia. Both trainings on Project Management Skills and Youth Entrepreneurship & Community Enterprise were highly appreciated by the participants.

We’re proud that due to the pandemic and travel restrictions these trainings could continue and were successful. The training took place in Sannequille, located in a remote area of northern Liberia, with a small population and minimal infrastructure.  Nevertheless, the training event clearly shows that it is possible to bring development assistance to the remotest parts of the world.  However, although, virtual training is efficient, it is restrictive to accommodate a wider range of development methodologies, also, there are limited possibilities to exchange tacit knowledge and experiences. To overcome some of these challenges the presence and inputs of a local resource person is vital, as was the case in Liberia, where the local project manager (Joseph Mensah), provided invaluable assistance to deepen knowledge understanding as well as to facilitate participant interactions.

Project Management Skills
The first training module was on Project Management Skills and was attended by NCCC staff from various disciplines. The aim of the training was to enable NCCC staff to propose projects that can be submitted either within the College, the local Community, the National government or Aid agencies. The three main focus areas during this 2-day training were on project management principles, project acquisition and project proposal drafting. After the training the participants got the assignment to work in teams and draft and submit a project proposal. These proposals will be looked at and discussed during the follow-up training with the aim to finalize the project proposals for submission to relevant organizations in 2021.

Youth Entrepreneurship & Community Enterprise
The other module was specially designed for local Youth & Community leaders/workers. 14 participants coming from 7 organizations and a participant from the Ministry of Youth & Sports joined the virtual training. The main aim of the training was to empower local communities in Nimba County to identify potential business start-up prospects and to recruit and train youth to take up these opportunities. To give the participants as many handles to work with as possible they learned about the background of local economic development and entrepreneurship, how to conduct a regional survey, a youth demographic survey, a local business possibility survey and how to start a youth business start-up recruitment campaign.

With the gained knowledge the participants will go into the field and conduct relevant surveys and recruit youth for a business start-up training in 2021. With the findings from the surveys a new training of trainers will be developed for the youth & community leaders for them to be able to train and coach the recruited youngsters. Furthermore, the survey will serve as a tool to match potential business opportunities to individuals or groups of youths who will attend the business start-up course.

The overall aim of the training and follow up training that will take place in the last quarter of 2020 is to realize several new businesses in Nimba County in 2021.

Contributing to trade and private sector development in Liberia
This Tailor-Made-Training (TMT) enhances institutional and staff capacity at the Nimba County Community College (NCCC) to contribute to trade and private sector development in Liberia. The one-year project provides NCCC staff with key insights enabling them to use new technologies and methods and to facilitate experiential learning. The training also broadens their roles to learn from interactions with a range of stakeholders and effectuate personal enterprise and self-confidence.

This Tailor-Made-Training is part of the Nuffic Orange Knowledge Programme

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Contributing to trade and private sector development in Liberia