Seeking Economic Empowerment and Resilience for Refugees and Migrants

Youth Business International (YBI) is pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative supported by Accenture that will provide vital assistance to young migrants and refugees (aged between 18-35 years old) in Germany, Ireland, Italy and Sweden.

Through force or by choice, there are record numbers of youth on the move. Among them are refugees and other migrants, including the internally displaced and stateless, who often face unique barriers and vulnerabilities in their host countries. Young migrants and refugees are significantly disadvantaged in establishing their own businesses or seeking employment opportunities compared to their local counterparts.

The programme, which will be delivered in partnership with four members of the YBI Network: KIZ, Germany; ICE, Ireland; MicroLab, Italy; and NyföretagarCentrum, Sweden, will support young people to access employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.  Over 12 months, over 1,500 young migrants and refugees will access relevant content and guidance to equip them with the confidence, connections and skills needed to gain formal employment or start a business, thus helping them integrate and contribute to the economy of their host country.

To enable members and the wider ecosystem to enhance their knowledge, understanding and implementation of best practices to better support disadvantaged young people on the move and harness YBI’s network effect, YBI will also be convening refugee and entrepreneurship ecosystem actors, alongside TERN (The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network), to share and collate expertise to better support young entrepreneurs from migrant and refugee communities in other geographies and contexts.

To achieve this, YBI will work with a wider cohort of YBI members, convening a series of learning sessions with the aim of identifying common issues and challenges and sharing best practice and insights. The findings of these will be distilled into a toolkit to be disseminated across the YBI network, improving the quality and outcomes for migrant and refugee young entrepreneurs supported by the network globally.

Anita Tiessen, CEO of YBI:

“We’re delighted to be continuing our long-standing relationship with Accenture and launching this programme to increase the number of young migrant and refugees receiving support through the network. Starting your own business is already a huge challenge for any budding entrepreneur. Young migrants or refugees additionally face the challenge of the unfamiliar, and have fewer options of traditional employment. We’re dedicate to providing support to help realize their dreams and unleash their potential to start or relocate their own businesses. This will help drive economic growth and make a marked contribution to their happiness, health and their communities.”