The ILO has developed a set of training materials for entrepreneurship education called Know About Business (KAB). The KAB training methodology develops entrepreneurial competencies among young people and the particular knowledge needed for self-employment and the creation of micro and small enterprises. Since 2009, the KAB programme has been introduced into vocational, secondary and higher education in 50 countries and translated into 22 languages. In the Arab region, the programme has been implemented in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the occupied Palestinian territory and Yemen.

The need for the ILO’s assistance to help foster an entrepreneurship culture in Saudi Arabia was expressed in 2009. Based on that need, KAB was pilot tested in the country and implemented under the umbrella of Riyadah targeting the students (men and women) enrolled in the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC).

Objectives

• Create awareness of enterprises and self-employment as a career option for Saudi youth
• Provide knowledge and practice on the desirable attributes for starting and operating a successful enterprise and the challenges that arise
• Facilitate the school-to-work transition as a result of a better understanding of the functions and operations of enterprises
• Develop positive attitudes towards enterprises and self-employment among Saudi youth

Activities

• Adapt KAB materials to the local social and economic context
• Train selected teachers and trainers of the TVTC on the KAB programme
• Carry out pilot testing of KAB in technical and vocational educational institutions at the second year diploma level
• Carry out follow-up workshops to ensure the coaching and exchange of experiences between teachers
• Assess KAB as an entrepreneurship education course in the national curriculum
• Ensure that by the end of the KAB pilot test, Riyadah and the government have all the necessary information to make an informed decision about the introduction of entrepreneurship education based on KAB in the Saudi national technical and vocational education curriculum

Objectives

• KAB curriculum introduced
• KAB training capacity built in Riyadah and selected technical colleges and institutes targeting both men and woman teachers
• KAB implemented in selected technical colleges and institutes
• Based on the project assessment, a national dissemination strategy drawn for the roll out of the KAB programme in technical and vocational education in the Kingdom