Inclusive Development and Entrepreneurship for All.
The world’s population is growing at a time when traditional, stable labour markets are shrinking. With an estimated 74 million young men and women worldwide unemployed. The youth unemployement rate is three times higher than its adult counterpart despite the global educational improvement trend. There is an undeniable need to create employment for youths . The challenges of youth employment in least-developed and middleincome countries, which are particularly acute, are subject to many development efforts by Governments and development partners. Many of these efforts foster the engagement of youth in productive activities. The success of these initiatives however depends on the availability and capacity of local enterprises, particularly small and medium sized businesses . There is now empirical and anecdotal evidence that the number of sustainably-operating small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that can provide work to additional employees in developing countries is limited...