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Business plan for youth

PARTNERSHIP: Oresego Holdings CEO JJ Tabane updates the media on the Youth and Graduate Entrepreneurship Programme, known as Y-Age. PHOTO: VATHISWA RUSELO
PARTNERSHIP: Oresego Holdings CEO JJ Tabane updates the media on the Youth and Graduate Entrepreneurship Programme, known as Y-Age. PHOTO: VATHISWA RUSELO

THE first group of young people to benefit from the Y-Age initiative are expected to start their training next month.

The initiative, aimed at training young businesspeople, will target 100,000 between the ages of 18 and 34.

Y-Age was launched in October last year and wants to create 100,000 entrepreneurs in three years in Gauteng. An estimated 1.2 million jobs are expected to be created in the process.

The Youth and Graduate Entrepreneurship Development programme (Y-Age), is a public-private partnership jointly created by the SA Centre for Organisation Development, Oresego Holdings and Hope Africa, a social development arm of the Anglican Church.

Y-Age was launched with the support of Gauteng MEC for economic development Qedani Mahlangu through the province's development agency, Gauteng Enterprise Propeller.

The department has set aside R90m (over three years) to kick-start the initiative. Other developmental finance institutions and private sector partners have also been brought on board.

It is a collaborative partnership that looks to practically stimulate a sustainable entrepreneurial culture in the country.

Those with degrees and diplomas will be considered if they are 40 or below.

It will cater for people with business ideas and no funding, those whose businesses have collapsed, those who have already started a business and want to grow them and those with innovative ideas but who cannot take them to the market.

The first group of 8,600 will sit in class next month for those who will be going into business for the first time.

Applications to join Y-Age can be found on: www.y-age.co.za or call 010-590-0260.

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