BANGKOK, Thailand (ILO News) – Young people in the Asia and the Pacific region are learning the skills they need to become entrepreneurs and drivers of sustainable growth in their communities.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) and AIESEC - a youth-led organization promoting leadership development among youth – have teamed up to deliver entrepreneurship and soft skills training to more than 765 participants in Bangladesh, Cambodia and the Philippines using the ILO’s activity-based learning tools.

ILO’s Ready for Business (R4B) learning module was adopted in the Philippines to provide youth with the entrepreneurial skills needed to start their own business. AIESEC organized two R4B webinars using the ILO’s tools, enabling 175 participants to develop their business ideas, learn about financing their business and gain essential entrepreneurial skills.

In Cambodia, AIESEC held two Youth 4 Youth workshops, one in partnership with CamEd International Business Club, where participants learned how to create their own online business through an interactive learning approach using practical case studies. AIESEC also organized the National Leadership Development Conference 2023 and National Conference 2022 to encourage young leaders in Cambodia. 589 participants benefited from the use of ILO’s R4B modules through these events and developed key skills needed to grow their business.

In Bangladesh, several events, including workshops with the World’s Largest Lesson organization and Youth Exchange and Study Bangladesh (YES), utilized the ILO’s R4B and Google Primer tools enabling youth in Bangladesh to develop entrepreneurial skills and learn how to run their business sustainably.

Mr Akira Kawasaki, ILO’s technical officer engaging with AIESEC commented, “AIESEC is an organization run by youth for youth. Its peer-based development approach well suits the ILO’s activity-based learning approach. Furthermore, I see this approach leads to expansion of the Social and Solidarity Economy(SSE).”

AIESEC is a youth-led organization promoting leadership development among the youth. Its organizational culture involves naturally promoting key principles of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) among youth themselves.

For further information please contact:

Mr Akira Kawasaki
Technical Officer on Entrepreneurship and SME Development
ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team – Bangkok
Email: kawasaki@ilo.org

Ms. Audrey Samuel
Intern – Entrepreneurship and SME Development
ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team – Bangkok
Email: samuela@iloguest.org