UNDP Entrepreneurship Development Assistant in Mangalore 130 views

Project Unnati: Empowering Youth and Women for Future Employability Skills and Entrepreneurship is a multi-year partnership project between United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Volunteers (UNV), supported by SAP India CSR.

The project aims to improve access to entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for 20,000 young people and women, while also empowering them to make informed decisions. Across the two proposed target groups (young people and women), the interventions would work towards increased awareness, enhancing employability and business skills capacity, facilitation of linkages, mentorship support and nurturing the innovation potential of youth and women of rural and urban areas.

The project activities will be implemented across 3 districts in the state of Karnataka viz. Bangalore Rural, Dakshin Kannada and Raichur. The proposed project builds on UNDP’s experiences on youth and women empowerment globally and specifically in India, its deep engagement with the state government of Karnataka and leverages United Nations Volunteers (UNV)’s strong on-the-ground presence with 58 volunteers present across the country. It also incorporates the essence of SAP’s CSR strategies to make a meaningful contribution to communities, emphasising on the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

SDG 1: No poverty: End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
SDG 5: Gender Equality: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

The key objectives and outcomes of Project Unnati is as follows:

1. Promotion of Rural Women-owned Microenterprises by ensuring:

• Improved local support system to facilitate start of women owned enterprises through creating a pool of community-based business women mentors (Unnati Sakhis).
• Women have improved self-confidence and capacity to start and run enterprise through conducting entrepreneurship awareness and entrepreneurship development training programs (EAP & EDP) with continued mentorship and facilitation through Unnati Sakhis to start women owned microenterprises

2. Youths are better equipped to make informed career choices and capable to access income generation (including internship, apprenticeship, jobs and entrepreneurship) opportunities by ensuring:

• Youth (specifically girls) have improved employability including digital and 21st Century skills and better connect with the industry through career guidance and counselling and digital/ employability skills training programs.
• Interested youths have increased confidence to start the entrepreneurship journey through access to Entrepreneurship Development Programs and access to Incubation/Accelerator programs.

3. Improved institutional ecosystem to support above mentioned objectives by ensuring:

• Faculties have capacity to guide and mentor students through access to mentorship training programs and digital platforms
• Government stakeholders including policy makers are sensitized
• Colleges are connected with ecosystem stakeholders including private sector, incubation centres, Govt. Schemes through innovation challenges and yearly Youth Networking summit.

The Project would be implemented by a joint team of UNDP and UNV consisting of highly qualified experienced professionals. Core project team would be lean and technical partners would be engaged for specific programme activities.

Considering the project has a marked emphasis on entrepreneurship development and mentorship for both rural based women-owned microenterprises and youth entrepreneurship, it is pivotal to engage an Entrepreneurship Development Assistant at each identified district.

The assistant will organize the rural entrepreneurship training programs, mentorship programs, youth entrepreneurship initiatives, incubation challenges, district level exhibitions for marketing linkages and also support in creating a cadre of Unnati Shakis.

Thus Project is seeking the services of 2 Entrepreneurship Development assistant for the above- mentioned initiatives and geared towards influencing a robust career guidance and entrepreneurial support ecosystem in the district.

Under the overall supervision of Programme Manager, UNDP and direct guidance of the State Project Head and Project Officer – Enterprise Development, Project Unnati, the Entrepreneurship Development Assistant will undertake the following:

1. Stakeholder identification and Mobilization:

• Identify potential stakeholders including but not limited to relevant district level government departments, Industries Association, start-up/incubation centers, mentorship network etc.
• Facilitate and support in conducting district level stakeholder mapping including Baseline assessment to design demand-based training program.
• Development of Master Trainers and Unnati Sakhis for the capacity building of SHGs and conducting rural women entrepreneurship programs.
• Develop an eco-system of human resources comprising of functional experts and mentors in the state for supporting enterprises development

2. Linkages and Network Development

• Develop district level partnerships with Government/private sector/technical institutions on various aspects like capacity building of various stakeholders (community cadre, entrepreneurs), market support, technical assistance, technology support, enterprise management etc.
• Work with Technical Support Agencies to meet project objectives
• Create a strong linkage and networking with all the relevant stakeholders and build partnership to effectively implement the project.
• Facilitate corporate volunteering and industry connect for enhanced entrepreneurship support and also support to develop a technology platform.
• Coordinate with government departments including Karnataka rural livelihood missions, Yes Centres, NYKS and NSS for convergence and linkages.
• Build institutional linkages at district level with banks, incubator/accelerator programs, retail stores, e-commerce platforms etc for financial and marketing linkages to women-owned microenterprises.

3. Training programme and Workshops

• Facilitate to conduct entrepreneurship awareness and development programs for school/college students at respective district.
• Coordination and implementation of district workshops, programs and initiatives including policy advocacy workshops, Youth networking summits, innovation challenges, design thinking workshops, Digital skills championships, scholarships etc.
• Facilitate to conduct EAP, EDP, mentorship programs to support women-owned microentrepreneurs.
• Facilitate to conduct sessions and programs to provide Business Support services for continued support and mentorship to women microentrepreneurs.

4. Monitoring and Reporting

• Support in Monitoring & Evaluation of the project as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) defined for entrepreneurship-based intervention and validating the same.
• Monitor progress of the entrepreneurship development component, analyze MIS and project performance data and take necessary corrective action
• Facilitating and ensuring Knowledge Management, documentation, case studies, best practices and communication of ongoing interventions in the field.
• Create a monthly report/newsletter and circulate to all the stakeholders.

Any other task assigned by reporting officer

Functional Competencies:

Job Knowledge/ Technical Expertise:

• Overall understanding of Government systems with respect to skill development related work & entrepreneurship development in Karnataka.
• Knowledge of various Government departments in a district and their working
• Ability to do thorough desk research and documentation.
• High level of proficiency in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.)
• Time management and organizational skills required.

Communication skills:

• Sound communication, interpersonal skills, with an ability to work in a multi- cultural environment.
• Excellent analytical, interviewing and writing skills.
• Demonstrates/safeguards ethics and integrity.

Core Competencies:

• Works as a team member.
• Ability to work independently and under pressure.
• Travel extensively.

Recruitment Qualifications:

Educational:

• Bachelors’ degree in the field of Management/ Economics/ Rural development/Social sciences and related discipline or equivalent.

• Masters’ degree in the field of Management/ Economics/ Rural development/Social sciences and related discipline is desirable.

Experience:

• At least 4 years of work experience in implementation, documentation and coordination in micro entrepreneurship- based projects/ initiatives.
• Experience in providing implementing entrepreneurship training and mentorship projects with a myriad of stakeholders and partners, including government, private sector, civil society, international organizations, donors, grassroots organizations and interagency committees
• Proven experience in documentation and administrative support systems

Remuneration package is Rs. 58,646 per month (taxable). UNDP also offers additional benefits which include medical insurance coverage and limited pension reimbursement for contract holder and encourages work life balance.

UNDP strives to have a workforce which reflects diversity and gender balance, and applies an equal opportunities approach. All selection is on merit.

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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