Building Future Entrepreneurs

(Mr Omar Kajee – Subject Head: Business Studies)

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, unrest within the country and an unprecedented unemployment rate, the country is in dire need of job creation programmes to be implemented as a nationwide initiative. 

Against this backdrop, this past weekend saw approximately 45 College boys take time out of their busy schedules to enjoy the KOI inspired entrepreneurship programme under the guidance of its founder Mr Neil Henrichsen.

The programme was held over three days starting on Friday afternoon, an extensive whole day programme on Saturday and a culmination of the event on Sunday afternoon. 

Being the subject head of Business Studies, I try to instill the belief and notion of “bringing the real world of business into the classroom” to my pupils and colleagues alike. This weekend went beyond that an embedded key values of entrepreneurship into the minds of each and every pupil who attended the sessions (the majority did not do business studies as a subject in the academic curriculum). My reflection on this would be that entrepreneurship goes beyond boundaries, and is in the minds of many teenagers around the country who aspire to be the next Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos. 

The content took pupils on a journey from a light bulb moment of identifying a gap in the market by coming up with a business idea to the challenges that may arise along the way and eventually fostering the belief that a business can be the market leader in the respective industry by creating a worldwide brand through franchising and brand exposure.  

My assessment of the course would be meaningless if I failed to engage with the actual pupils who attended the sessions. My analysis could be summed up in one word “astonishing”. Each and every pupil expressed how beneficial the programme was to them and the motivation they have received to go out there and start their own business. The room buzzed with excitement as Neil shared success stories which most pupils could relate to. The interest was unwavering and continued long after the session as Mr Henrichsen was inundated with Question and Answers  after the programme, with majority of pupils staying after creating a further audience for the presenter to deal with. The learners thoroughly enjoyed the sessions!

Mr Henrichsen shared a wealth of experience with the boys and provided insightful discussions which boys thoroughly enjoyed. His knowledge was concrete and the presentation was well structured and effectively presented. The varied tone and expressions displayed ensured that all pupils were constantly engaging with Neil and boredom never set on. A job well done!

It is clearly evident that the programme was a resounding success as the excitement of pupils transferred to the classroom amongst fellow colleagues this week. It is crucial that with all the hype created, a structured programme is implemented to allow pupils to channel these passionate energies into a tangible business proposal that can lead to wealth creation and be a guiding light to reduce the income inequality levels that exist within our country.