YOUTH

The Youth Development Program was designed to meet the needs of young black girls who are growing in a complex multicultural world where barriers to personal and professional growth are still significant and impede their growth. The program has three streams

YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

which prepares young people for work, career development and entrepreneurship through practical experience and the development of professional skills. The aim is to inspire young people and prepare them for success in the real world of work. Accordingly, young people who want this opportunity are prepared to take on responsibility and commit themselves to enter the world of work or business, are recruited, trained, coached and supported.

THE SPECIALIZED YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP CURRICULUM

which prepares young black girls for entrepreneurship, covers topics such as: social media platforms for corporate and social media marketing, the process of finding opportunities, and mental health and self-sufficiency of entrepreneurs – an often overlooked but important aspect of entrepreneurship education.

THE SECOND STREAM IS BASED ON THE HSBC CAREER ACCELERATOR PROGRAM

which provides pre-employment training to young people facing multiple barriers to employment, to help them acquire the soft skills and global skills needed for the job market of today and the future. An innovative specialized curriculum of future skills will provide young people with tailored future pre-vocational training, digital skills training and skills to help them prepare for the job of the future, including self-knowledge, resilience, new thinking, growth thinking, agency, meta-cognition, self-regulation and more.

MENTORING

A strong mentoring program complements this component, providing young black girls with access to mentors and training older girls to mentor. We encourage their participation in community programs that impact their livelihoods, where black girls can speak out, challenge gender stereotypes, and discover and celebrate their strengths. This helps young black girls develop leadership and become role models in their communities.