Ashgabat, May 29, 2019: In the conditions of transition to a market economy of Turkmenistan, focusing on self-employment, development of small and medium-sized businesses by young people, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) conducted trainings and seminars to train business trainers from among teachers of the School of Business of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs , as well as specialists from the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population, labor and employment services of the pilot cities of the project: Ashgabat, Tedzhen, Turkmenbashi, Mary, Turkmenabat, Dashoguz.

Within the framework of cooperation with the School of Business, successful entrepreneurs in the pilot cities of the project are expected to participate in the mentoring programs and provide internship opportunities for young men and women on the basis of successful enterprises in the country. They are also expected to participate in selection of the best business plans to allocate grants and support start-ups of young entrepreneurs.

“Nowadays, many governments are turning to self-employment programs and entrepreneurship development in youth employment. Entrepreneurship is considered the main engine of innovation, competitiveness, growth and the generator of new ideas. It is an important part of the policies of many governments and international donors,” says Vesna Tsuteska-Bisheva, specialist in inclusive employment at the UNDP Regional Center in Istanbul.

The training was attended by more than 15 experts who reviewed the methodology for conducting business trainings, the basic principles of teaching youth to business, as well as the development of business ideas and the creation of business plans. The goal of all training is to give specialists the opportunity to support young people in all directions.

At the end of the seminars, it is expected that new trainers will conduct cascading seminars on entrepreneurship development for the target group of young people in six pilot cities of the project.

In youth employment issues, entrepreneurship is becoming one of the most effective methods of mobilizing energy, flexibility, openness and dynamism of young people as a potential positive force to counter the spread and influence of violent extremism.

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The seminars are held within the framework of the project “Strengthening Community Resilience and Regional Cooperation to Prevent Violent Extremism in Central Asia”, funded by the Government of Japan.