social entrepreneurship and transition-aged youth · social entrepreneurship and transition-aged...

Contents

TOC 1 – Level 1 (see formatting palette / styles)

Social entrepreneurship and

transition-aged youth

Date: June 9, 2016

Social entrepreneurship & transition-aged youth

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Overview of inquiry ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Summary of findings ............................................................................................................................................ 3

Findings ............................................................................................................................................................... 4

Terms and definitions .................................................................................................................................. 4

Developing effective youth mentorship programs .......................................................................................... 5

Developing effective social entrepreneurship/youth livelihood development programs ............................................. 9

Next steps and additional resources ................................................................................................................... 14

Report context ................................................................................................................................................... 15

Search terms ...................................................................................................................................................... 15

References ......................................................................................................................................................... 16

Appendix I – Proposed indicators for evaluating mentorship programs (Timmons, Mack, Sims, Hare & Wills, 2006) .... 18

Appendix II – Contextual factors for youth livelihood development programs (Ellis & Williams, 2011) .................. 19

Appendix III– School to work vs school and work (James-Wilson, 2008) ............................................................... 20

Appendix IV– USAID Designing effective livelihood intervention strategies sample indicators (James-Wilson, 2008) 21


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Overview of inquiry

A child and youth mental health agency based in Ontario contacted the Centre’s Evidence In-Sight service for

information related to social entrepreneurship and how such an approach could be used to create a program that would

help support marginalized, transition-aged youth. The goal of the program is to help this group develop work-related

skills through a youth-run business initiative designed to teach youth transferable business skills. Although youth in the

program’s target demographic may have some underlying mental health issues, the program itself is not intended to be

a form of treatment. The agency has resources and services available to meet specific mental health needs as may be

required by youth in the program. The proposed program will incorporate a mentorship approach as a way to support

the youth to build work-related skills while participating hands-on in a business initiative.

The report was created to answer the following questions:

1. What are best practices for mentoring/supporting marginalized youth transitioning into adulthood?

2. What are best practices/models for supporting social entrepreneurial development/growth/spirit/etc. in

marginalized youth?

3. What metrics can we use to assess whether our programs are successful?

Summary of findings

The term social entrepreneurship has many definitions with little consistency between them all.

o Youth social entrepreneurship narrows the scope but mostly focuses on initiatives from a business

standpoint.

o Youth livelihood development is a term that also captures the skill building aspect.

Key factors to designing effective youth mentorship programs include taking the time to build positive

relationships and using mentorship as a means of skill development.

Key factors to designing effective youth social entrepreneurship/youth livelihood development programs

include:

o connecting with community needs

o establishing partnerships with other organizations

ultimately, no single institution or organization can provide the full range of services needed for

successful transition and there is a need for service providers, at all levels, to work together with

one another to ensure a successful transition (Timmons, Mack, Sims, Hare & Wills, 2006)

o offering flexible programing in terms of program requirements and time commitments

o focusing on building skills


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Findings

This Evidence In-Sight report is structured in three parts. The first portion of the report discusses the findings on the

topic of social entrepreneurship. The second portion outlines literature review findings and best practices on developing

effective youth mentorship programs. The report then outlines findings from youth social entrepreneurship/youth

livelihood development program guides in terms of characteristics of effective programs. Any measures or indicators

found throughout different sources are noted in text but featured in the noted Appendix.

Terms and definitions

Social entrepreneurship

An initial literature review for this report showed a lack of consistent definitions for the term social entrepreneurship.

Some researchers have found that there are a variety of definitions for the term social entrepreneurship (UNICEF, 2007).

In general, there are two schools of thought. The first is the social enterprise school of thought which presents social

entrepreneurship as an organization. In any sector, using earned income strategies to pursue a double bottom line or a

triple bottom line, either alone or as part of a mixed revenue stream that includes charitable contributions and public

sector subsidies (Seelos & Mair, 2004). The second is the social innovation school of thought which presents social

entrepreneurship as pursuits of individuals or organizations pushing for social change with the aim of reducing or

eliminating a specific social problem (Seelos & Mair, 2004). In the latter example, the emphasis is more on the social

outcomes rather than income generation itself. Similarly, a social enterprise is characterized by Ernst and Young (2014)

as an enterprise that:

creates a positive impact on society

realizes its primary objective by delivering a service or product as an independent organization

is financially self-sustainable and not fully dependent on gifts and subsidies

runs its business in a sustainable way (Ernst & Young, 2014)

Youth social entrepreneurship

In contrast to the above definition, specifying youth social entrepreneurship led to more relevant definitions. Youth

social entrepreneurship is defined by one source as pertaining to young people, ages ten to twenty-four. This differs

from traditional youth development programs as these types of initiatives put young people themselves in charge, allow

youth to come up with ideas for projects and maintain control over the projects (UNICEF, 2007). In these initiatives, key

areas of support for youth include: knowledge and skill development, networking opportunities, mentorship programs

and access to finance. The aim is to create a support system for young entrepreneurs by providing youth networking and

capacity building, support for funding, physical space and equipment, tools, knowledge and advisors, information and

research, and partnerships and policy bridges among youth-related organizations (UNICEF, 2007).


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Youth livelihood development

Youth livelihood development was another term that emerged through the literature search and corresponded well with

the work-skills development nature of the inquiry. According to the literature, youth livelihood development programs

focus on encouraging youth and helping them acquire work related skills and resources to enhance their livelihoods

(James-Wilson, 2008). The challenge is that youth livelihood programs must operate under the reality that most youth

are already, to one degree or another, working to, at least partially, support themselves financially (James-Wilson,

2008). These programs are typically aimed at youth who are marginalized and often excluded from other workplace

skills programs such as formal education (Hempel & Fiala, 2011). The programs focus on supporting young people’s

means to earn a living by providing support such as training, financial services, engaging in public service and focusing on

youth entrepreneurship (Hempel & Fiala, 2011).

Relevant literature from both the social entrepreneurship literature and youth livelihood development literature has

been drawn upon where appropriate and where the information suits the focus of the report.

Developing effective youth mentorship programs

How Effective Are Mentoring Programs for Youth? (DuBois et al., 2011)

A meta-analysis reviewing seventy-three evaluations of child or youth mentorship programs in the United States found

that mentorship programs can improve outcomes for children and youth across a variety of domains, including

academic, social, behaviour and emotional. The most important factor influencing the effectiveness of a mentorship

program is that a strong, meaningful, connection must be established between the young person and their mentor.

Mentorship programs can increase their overall effectiveness by:

recruiting mentors with backgrounds in helping roles or professions if possible or suitable

providing clear guidelines in regard to how often mentors should be in contact with youth

hosting events or activities that allow for casual/ non-formal interaction between for mentors and youth

providing support to, and involving, parents in the process whenever possible

conducting mentoring activities in community settings

training mentors on an ongoing basis rather than a one-time only training for mentors

systematically monitoring the how the program is being conducted, whether it is being implemented to

standards, and where improvements could be made

The following section covers some key points retrieved from guidelines for developing effective mentorship programs by

drawing out common recommendations, then outlining unique recommendations from each guide.

Strong mentorship relationships

Although each of the organizations looked at have some unique recommendations, two consistent themes emerged

across each of the guidelines mentioned in this report. Above all else, a strong mentorship relationship is noted as the

most critical component of any mentorship program (Alberta Children and Youth Initiative, 2006; DuBois et al., 2011;


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Fauth, Hart & Payne, 2012; Timmons, Mack, Sims, Hare & Wills, 2006). To this end, agencies running mentorship

programs can play a key role in ensuring these relationships are established (DuBois et al., 2012). Agencies must

emphasize that mentors build trust and respect with their mentee, set clear and fair expectations for one another and

meet regularly (Timmons, Mack, Sims, Hare & Wills, 2006). A mentor can foster the development of a positive

relationship by being caring and supportive, listening and engaging in conversation and participating in recreational

activities (Timmons, Mack, Sims, Hare & Wills, 2006). Timmons and colleagues (2006) note that youth do not desire

confrontation, authority, control or moralizing and the early focus should be on building a relationship before moving to

activities designed to develop competencies or skills. In terms of the duration of the mentorship, agencies can best

foster strong mentorship relationships by providing clear guidelines in terms of how often mentors should be in contact

with their youth mentees (DuBois et al., 2011). Several guidelines went so far as to specify that better outcomes are

achieved through mentorship programs that commit to a minimum of a one-year mentorship period and that ideally

mentors and mentees should meet for at least four hours over the course of a month or 30-45 minutes per week of

online interaction (Timmons, Mack, Sims, Hare & Wills, 2006; Fauth, Hart & Payne, 2012).

Use of mentors for skill development

A second theme is the use of mentors for skill development. In addition to helping youth build relationships, youth

mentorship programs can be an effective way to help young people build skills outside of formal education (Alberta

Children and Youth Initiative, 2006). Mentorship can help youth develop a set of work specific skills, as well as soft skills

such as dressing appropriately for the workplace, speaking to adults and personal organization (Timmons, Mack, Sims,

Hare & Wills, 2006). Even outside of a specific job context, mentors can help youth with other work-related skills such as

helping guide youth through the process of searching for jobs, writing resumes and cover-letters and attending job fairs

or job interviews (Alberta Children and Youth Initiative, 2006; Timmons, Mack, Sims, Hare & Wills, 2006).

Sample program guidelines and additional factors for program development

What follows are some additional key points from cited guidelines for developing mentorship programs.

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (Timmons, Mack, Sims, Hare & Wills, 2006)

This guide focuses on older youth at a transitioning age and details career focused mentoring programs, developmental

context and the role of mentoring, mentor settings and approaches, operating mentoring programs, useful program

evaluation and marketing a mentoring program. Due to an absence of research literature specific to mentorship for

youth with disabilities, the guide draws on the literature from studies on mentorship programs for youth without

disabilities and adds subject-matter expertise around any special considerations which need to be taken into account

when working with a population with various disabilities. The guide distinguishes among four different approaches that

can be taken to mentoring, includes templates for mentor recruiting needs and contains a full chapter dedicated to

evaluation mentorship programs. The four mentorship models are listed in the table below and suggested data elements

are listed in Appendix I.


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Four types of mentoring models

Model Description

One-to-One One adult is paired with one young person

Peer Peers from shared or similar developmental stage provide support and advice to mentees

Group Matches one or more adults with a group of youth in a structured setting

E-mentoring One or more youth are matched with a mentor, with whom they regularly exchange emails or keep in

touch via other means of electronic communication

Finally, the guide notes research by the National Mentoring Centre (NMC) that found there are five underlying

foundations for long term success of mentoring programs:

- strong agency capacity

- proven program design

- effective community partnerships

- sustainable resource development

- useful program evaluation (Garringer, Fulop & Rennick, 2003)

National Mentoring Partnership (MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, 2015)

The first part of this guide covers six evidence-based standards addressing critical dimensions of operating a mentoring

program: recruitment, screening, training, matching, monitoring and support and closure. The guide includes specific

benchmarks. The second part provides guidelines on building new mentoring programs and strengthening existing ones

with a focus on program design and planning, program management and program evaluation.

The format of the guide is to cover a specific standard by outlining the standard, describing benchmarks, listing further

enhancements and describing justification for these standards based on research. For example, the section on

mentorship monitoring provides a standard for effective program monitoring and support to mentors, lists five

benchmarks an effective program should aim for, suggests three enhancements to strengthen this aspect further, then

provides a rational for these benchmarks and enhancements based on the research literature.

Alberta Children and Youth Initiative (Alberta Children and Youth Initiative, 2006)

In 2006, the Alberta Children and Youth Initiative developed a set of guidelines for supporting successful transitions for

children and youth. The guide includes a section on transitioning into adulthood and a section on children and youth

with high-risk factors. Several essential components for a successful transition are included below.

1. Basic needs must be met.

2. Positive relationships must be built and maintained.

3. Support and resources should be provided around the new environment and routines.

4. Youth must be involved in the process and provided choices to promote self-advocacy.

5. Support the need for increased independence.

6. Ensure transition plans are coordinated and information shared with parents and others involved with the youth

(e.g. school, social workers).


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7. Prepare for the transition and maintain consistency across environments.

Specific to youth transitioning to adulthood, the guide provides several tips for enhancing youth transition to adulthood:

1. Engage youth in discussions about their ambitions and long-term goals.

2. Guide youth to alternative services or where youth can find them as they age out of certain.

3. Help youth find scholarships or financial assistance for education.

4. Provide youth with mentors who can serve as an effective social support in aiding with the transition.

5. Consider skill development programs outside of formal education to help youth build work skills.

6. Provide youth the opportunity to get involved in the community and take on a leadership role to allow youth to

develop skills while also feeling a sense of empowerment and developing new social networks.

Additionally, there are unique considerations for enhancing transitions specific to youth with at-risk factors.

1. Basic livelihood needs come first. It is always imperative to ensure adequate food, stable housing, clothing,

transportation and other basic needs are met.

2. Involving supportive family, extended family or caregivers as much as possible enables the involvement of

additional positive peers.

3. Opportunities should be provided for the youth to make choices in order to feel they are respected, empowered

and heard.

4. Be as reassuring as possible. When there are setbacks or instances of stress, reassure youth that stress is a

normal part of life and help them to develop positive coping mechanisms.

5. Provide opportunities for recreational or other activities outside of skills programs or trainings as it allows youth

to develop interpersonal skills and a greater sense of belonging.

6. Provide youth with a knowledge base of what resources are available and what they can turn to when needed.

These need not be formal supports to be effective, but anything that can be provided with help youth feel

empowered to seek any assistance they may require.

National Children’s Bureau (Fauth, Hart & Payne, 2012)

A report issued by the National Children’s Bureau in the United Kingdom provided a summary of the research on what

works in supporting adolescents as they leave care to help them transition to independent living. Specific types of

support that seem to be effective include reliable financial support, apprenticeships and work experience, mentoring

schemes, interview preparation and help with university forms, special classes or teachers to provide additional support

to young care leavers, personal education plans, access to computers, including specific people with educational remit

within teams, involving career advisers in leaving care services, employment skills groups and building formal links with

colleges, trainers and employers.


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Developing effective social entrepreneurship/youth livelihood development programs

Context

While the general importance of mentorship programs has been described, there is literature suggesting that social

entrepreneurship/youth livelihood development programs are particularly relevant vessels for mentorship. For instance,

a report by the Manpower Group (2012) notes that the strongest possible platform for young people to launch

successful careers comes from programs that combine workplace level skills and work experience with mentoring

programs. Additionally, in a study conducted by the United States Agency for International Development, young people

frequently say access to mentors, peer support, new ideas and a sense of self confidence or courage are more important

to them than access to either financial capital or skills training programs (James-Wilson, 2008). Furthermore, for youth

with poor existing social networks or a lack of family support, building social ties may be an important first step prior to

building financial capital or human capital (James-Wilson, 2008). To this end, Ellis and Williams (2011) suggest that

program developers consider using mentors rather than training exclusively. With the above emphasis on what makes

effective mentorship programs, the following are key themes from the literature on developing effective social

entrepreneurship/youth livelihood development programs.

Connecting with community needs

Multiple sources highlighted the importance of the context in which a program will take place as a key factor. Amyot and

Fairholm Mader (2014), for instance, note that the best chance of success for community-based job skill building

programs come from when the programs are linked to identified needs within the community and have established an

understanding of need in the local workforce. Specific contextual factors can include what drives the local economy

(efficiency or innovation), what is the conflict level (conflict affected, post-conflict or peaceful) and rural or urban

location (Ellis & Williams, 2011; for definitions of each contextual factor, see Appendix II). Each of these factors will

influence the development of a program by providing context to the local setting (Ellis & Williams, 2011). Context also

plays a role in the development of programs. In order for a program to be effective, it must be driven by the wants and

needs of young people and their families in relation to the realities of the local workplace (James-Wilson, 2008). To this

end, the programs that can best foster improved livelihoods through skills development are those that build skills that

will increase youth access to sectors offering wages that can support the cost of living in the area (Amyot & Fairholm

Mader, 2014).

Partnerships

Considering the importance local context plays in the development of programs, another key aspect for developing

effective programs is the importance of partnerships. Partnerships are not limited to local teaching institutions and

organizations. Programs must also include target program participants and families in assessment and planning exercises

in order for the programs to be their most effective (James-Wilson, 2008). Furthermore, involving employers, sector

associations, First Nations1, unions, and employment developers also help build key partnerships that can contribute to

the success of an initiative (Amyot & Fairholm Mader, 2014). The main reason partnerships are important is because of

1 Although this particular example explicitly cites “First Nations”, the Centre recognizes Canada’s broader Indigenous community, which also includes Inuit and Métis.


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their potential to tap into existing community assets (Amyot & Fairholm Mader, 2014). For instance, one

recommendation is to consider offering a skills development program either in partnership with or through schools and

post-secondary institutions (Ellis & Williams, 2011). Junior Achievement, an organization which provides real-world

mentors to teach youth financial, business and entrepreneurship skills, achieves its goals in this manner through

partnerships with school districts or other youth focused organizations whereby Junior Achievement provides the

content and the school or organization provide the audience (Tucker, 2011). When funding must be provided for youth

social entrepreneurial pursuits, partnerships with the local business community, banks or accountants can expand the

resources available to young entrepreneurs (Ellis & Williams, 2011). James-Wilson (2008) recommends that rather than

an organizations setting up its own loans, organizations can provide access to financial capital by partnering and building

alliances with community providers. This approach eases the burden on the supporting organization, which might lack

the technical capacity to manage microfinance products and eliminates the need for the supporting organization serving

a dual role of both development worker and loan collector (James-Wilson, 2008). Additional examples of partnerships

for youth social entrepreneurship supported by UNICEF are those that provide:

a) youth networking and capacity building

b) support for funding, physical space and equipment

c) tools, knowledge and advisors

d) information and research

e) partnerships and policy bridges among youth-related organizations (UNICEF, 2007)

Program flexibility

Another important contextual factor is the need for youth in a program to work to support themselves financially. To

this end, one key aspect of any skills building program is flexibility in the program design. Most youth must often form

some kind of balance between education and work (James-Wilson, 2008). As a result, overly rigid programs will not best

meet the needs of youth participants. Combining work experience and formal education is effective, particularly when

workplace-based skills development is incorporated (Amyot & Fairholm Mader, 2014). In this sense, flexibility can take

the form of having program schedules and milestones that are flexible in terms of scheduling and accomplishment (e.g.

if a training program has 10 scheduled sessions, does a youth have to complete them all in a fixed time period or have to

re-enroll in the whole program again if some are missed?) or location (James-Wilson, 2008; Amyot & Fairholm Mader,

2014). Even with these in place, it is important to remember that youth must often interrupt or put off education in

order to meet their immediate financial needs and programs should be designed with the underlying premise that a skill

development program must operate in parallel along with youth pursuing formal education and working at least part

time (James-Wilson, 2008).

Skill building

Mentorship and peer-support programs are an effective way to help youth build positive social ties and increase the

social capital in youth. The caveat is that there must be a fit between the needs of the young person and the knowledge

base of the mentor (James-Wilson, 2008). Matching youth with mentors with knowledge in the field of business of a

youth run enterprise is crucial for getting the most out of a youth mentorship program in a business context (James-

Wilson, 2008). As an example, Junior Achievement aims to provide students access to a network of adult-mentors who


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help bridge the gap between what is learned in the classroom and the real world (Junior Achievement USA, 2011).

Specifically, Junior Achievement helps to build financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship skills in students.

These skills are built through workshops delivered by professional volunteers in the local community who bring

experiences into the classroom to help students connect program concepts with real-life situations (Junior Achievement

USA, 2011). While financial, numeracy and literacy skills are often cited as being important (James-Wilson, 2008; Tucker,

2011; Amyot & Fairholm Mader, 2014), there are other important skills that can be developed through youth social

entrepreneurship/youth livelihood development programs. Life skills such as goal setting, anger management, self-

confidence and personal satisfaction are also mentioned as important skills to develop (James-Wilson, 2008; Amyot &

Fairholm Mader, 2014). Workplace, but not necessarily job specific, skills such as leadership, dependability, motivation

and social skills are also important skills that can be developed through mentorship programs (James-Wilson, 2008; Ellis

& Willson, 2011; Amyot & Fairholm Mader, 2014). Although all of the above mentioned skills are important, it is equally

important to remember to focus on the existing gaps in work experience and building workplace, life and essential skills

in the youth population being served (Amyot & Fairholm Mader, 2014).

Program examples

British Columbia Centre for Employment Excellence (Amyot & Fairholm Mader, 2014)

Faced with the growing challenge of youth unemployment in British Columbia’s capital region (the greater Victoria area),

the British Columbia Centre for Employment Excellence set out to explore employment development for people facing

barriers to employment, explore the role of social enterprise in helping reduce youth unemployment and assess

whether such an approach could be used in the region. During the development of the guide, employers interviewed

stated that while they were willing to hire young people into entry level positions, most employers were more

interested in hiring employees with previous work experience and workplace skills such as customer relations and

decision making; skills that are best gained through work experience. This points to the need for programs for young

people which focus on building workplace skills and real-world work experience. Research demonstrates that workplace,

essential and life skill development programs can be effective when integrated into a workplace setting, and that such

an approach is equally effective for at-risk youth populations. Non-traditional approaches (such as skill development

through film) were also found to be effective in reaching hard to serve youth. When looking at real-world work

experience, the guide found that real, paid, work experience is the cornerstone of many programs aimed at increasing

employment in vulnerable populations.

The must-haves for any social enterprise initiative were that programs need to:

- transition quickly from the talking or planning stage to the doing stage

- support youth in being successful at entry-level positions which can serve as a springboard for career

advancement

- pay particular attention to the most vulnerable youth and ensure they are not falling through the gaps

- develop strategies to meet the needs of youth who have not been adequately prepared to enter the workforce

and those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)


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United States Agency for International Development (James-Wilson, 2008)

Due to a growing problem of economic realities prohibiting a large number of youth from participating in traditional

workforce development programs and formal education, the United States Agency for International Development

(USAID) produced a guide for creating youth livelihood development programs to serve young people aged 15-24 from

marginalized backgrounds to help youth develop skills to be better prepared to work. According to the guide, effective

interventions must build upon a clear conceptual and programmatic framework which must be driven by a number of

points derived from research and best practices. Namely that:

- most youth are already economically active

- young people’s economic activities are linked to household livelihood strategies, not necessarily to gain economic

independence or self-sufficiency

- programs should move from school-to-work paradigm to a school-and-work paradigm (see Appendix III for

comparison chart)

- any meaningful appraisal of needs, aspirations, assets and obstacles must break down youth data to understand as

much as possible the make-up of the youth involved in the program

Four types of capital that can be built through youth livelihood development programs

Human capital (job skills)

- best achieved by a combination of skills training,

mentoring and guidance, combined with helping

credit-ready young entrepreneurs gain access to

financial capital

- must build upon existing knowledge and experience

of participating youth

- should enable even the most marginalized groups to

participate

- consider recovering some costs via user fees

Financial capital

- focuses on helping youth access capital to launch

their business ventures

- microfinance products and loans are not typically

available to youth due to age and lack of collateral

- if loans must be used, it is important to stress

discipline in using them wisely and planning the

necessary steps for repayment

- savings should be stressed as a precursor to loans to

allow youth to learn about financial management

without the danger of acquiring debt

Physical capital

- outright grants to help youth sustain their livelihood

activities are sometimes necessary

o could consist of equipment needed for

businesses or small grants or low-interest loans

for the acquisition of business equipment

- help youth acquire tools for an apprenticeship

program, work appropriate clothing, access to

computers or other electronic business equipment,

or even physical space for running and operating a

business

Social capital

- less understood and researched compared to the

previous forms of capital, but plays an important role

- mentorship and peer-support programs are a great

way to help youth build positive social ties and

increase social capital.

o there must be a fit between the needs of the

young person and the knowledge base of the

mentor

o matching youth with mentors with knowledge

in the field of business of a youth run

enterprise is crucial for getting the most out of


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- using physical capital as a reward for positive

behavior can be an effective strategy

o youth themselves should be given the

opportunity to provide input as to what kinds

of rewards or incentives would produce the

greatest benefit to themselves

- assisting youth access stable housing

o businesses can be run out of the home so

assisting youth in finding stable housing can

immensely aid in the development of other

positive livelihood behaviors

a youth mentorship program in a business

context

For a list of sample indicators for each of these four areas, see Appendix IV.

Overseas Development Institute (Ellis & Williams, 2011)

In collaboration with Youth Business International, War Child and Restless Development, the Overseas Development

Institute developed a toolkit aimed at how to best support youth entrepreneurship across different contexts. Realizing

the importance the local context plays in the development of programs, the guide distinguishes among three different

contextual factors, each of which needs to be taken into account to optimize a youth entrepreneurship program to fit

the local context. These include economy driver, conflict level and population distribution (for full descriptions of each

factors and levels within each factor, see chart in Appendix II). According to the toolkit, Canada is classified as being an

innovation driven, peaceful and urban context. In this context, the toolkit offers the following suggestions to maximize

youth entrepreneurial support:

- develop training programs with high technical requirements (e.g. online business, social media, mobile payments,

etc.)

- form a network among young entrepreneurs for support purposes

- build awareness among young entrepreneurs of other resources available to them

Junior Achievers (Tucker, 2011) Through skill building programs and access to mentors in the real world, Junior Achievement hopes to enable youth to

become better prepared for work, start a business and equipped with financial literacy. Junior Achievement strives to

achieve impact through a three stage process: transforming, delivering and achieving. Junior Achievement starts with an

event aimed at altering the ambitions of youths and encourages Achievers to do more with their lives. Next, Junior

Achievement delivers skill building programs and builds the confidence required to achieve those great things.

Specifically, Junior Achievement hopes to build skills in three areas:

Financial literacy Students learn how to create and manage wealth through developing skills such as budgeting,

investing and aligning financial choices with their goals.

Work readiness Students learn how to translate their interests and skills into successful careers as well as

practical job skills such as interviewing, communications and critical thinking.


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Entrepreneurship Give students first-hand experience running a business. Students work with mentors from their

local business communities to create strategies and manage companies

Next steps and additional resources

This report pulls together relevant literature and real world-program guidelines together into one place. Given the

nature of the requesting agency’s desired program, bringing together literature and program development guidelines on

what makes effective programs in terms of mentorship or youth social entrepreneurship/youth livelihood development

provides a good background to draw from when designing a program combining each of these two aspects. Important

factors to keep in mind when developing youth mentorship programs is to take the time to build positive relationships

and use mentorship as a means of skill development. When it comes to effective youth social entrepreneurship/youth

livelihood development programs, important factors include connecting with the needs of youth in the community,

establishing partnerships with other organizations in the community, offering programs that are flexible in terms of

requirements and time commitments for the youth involved and focusing on building skills.

All program guides discussed in this report are publically available online and links to original online documents are

listed in the references section.

The Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health has a number of resources and services available to

support agencies, including resources on engaging youth in families, implementing programs and evaluating programs.

For more information on these and other Centre resources, visit:

http://www.excellenceforchildandyouth.ca/what-we-do

or the Centre’s resource hub at:

http://www.excellenceforchildandyouth.ca/resource-hub

http://www.excellenceforchildandyouth.ca/what-we-do

http://www.excellenceforchildandyouth.ca/resource-hub


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Report context

This Evidence In-Sight report involved a non-systematic search and summary of the research and grey literature. These findings are intended to inform the requesting organization, in a timely fashion, rather than providing an exhaustive search or systematic review. This report reflects the literature and evidence available at the time of writing. As new evidence emerges, knowledge on evidence-informed practices can evolve. It may be useful to re-examine and update the evidence over time and/or as new findings emerge. Evidence In-Sight primarily presents research findings, along with consultations with experts where feasible and constructive. Since scientific research represents only one type of evidence, we encourage you to combine these findings with the expertise of practitioners and the experiences of children, youth and families to develop the best evidence-informed practices for your setting. While this report may describe best practices or models of evidence-informed programs, Evidence In-Sight does not include direct recommendations or endorsement of a particular practice or program. ___________________________________________

We prepared the report given the contextual information provided in our communications with the requesting agency

(see Overview of inquiry). For any questions regarding this report, please do not hesitate to contact us at

[email protected] or by phone at 613-737-2297.

Search terms

We used the following terms or combination of terms to find literature pertaining to youth social entrepreneurship and

mentorship programs for youth

Databases searched: EBSCO Host (Medline, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection),

Google, Google Scholar and The Cochrane Library.

Search terms: transitional aged youth, skill development, youth entrepreneurship, business skills development,

marginalized youth, social entrepreneurship, youth livelihood interventions, youth skills development

interventions, mentorship, youth mentorship, foster care transitioning youth


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References

Alberta Children and Youth Initiative. (2006). Guidelines for supporting successful transitions for children and youth.

Alberta Children and Youth Initiative, AB. Retrieved from:

http://www.assembly.ab.ca/lao/library/egovdocs/2006/alac/158807.pdf

Amyot, S. & Fairholm Mader, K. (2014). Pathways to success for youth in BC’s Capital region: The power and potential of

social enterprise. BC Centre for Employment Excellence. Retrieved from:

http://www.communitycouncil.ca/sites/default/files/2014_Youth_Social_Enterprise_Report_CFEEBC_CSPC.pdf

Clayden, J & Stein, J. 2005. Mentoring young people leaving care: ‘someone for me’. Joseph Rowntree Foundation: York.

DuBois, D. L., Holloway, B. E., Valentine, J. C., & Cooper, H. (2002). Effectiveness of mentoring programs for youth: A

meta‐analytic review. American Journal of Community Psychology, 30, 157−197.

DuBois, D.L., Portillo, N., Rhodes, J.E., Silverthorn, N. & Valentine, J.C. (2011). How Effective Are Mentoring Programs for

Youth? A Systematic Assessment of the Evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 12(2), 57-91.

Ellis, K. & Williams, C. (2011). Maximising impact of youth entrepreneurship support in different contexts: Background

report, framework and toolkit for consultation. Overseas Development Institute: London. Retrieved from:

http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/7728.pdf

Ernst & Young, 2014. Social entrepreneurship: Emerging business opportunities creating value for society. Ernst & Young

Accountants LLP. Retrieved from: http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-social-entrepreneurship/$FILE/EY-

social-entrepreneurship.pdf

Fauth, R., Hart, D., & Payne, L. (2012). Supporting care leavers’ successful transition to independent living. National

Children’s Bureau. London, United Kingdom. Retrieved from

http://www.ncb.org.uk/media/809897/ncb_rsch_9_final_for_web.pdf

Garringer, M., Fulop, M., & Rennick, V. (2003). Foundations of successful youth mentoring: A guidebook for program

development. Portland, OR: National Mentoring Center.

Hempel, K. & Fiala, N. (2011). Measuring success of youth livelihood interventions: A practical guide to monitoring and

evaluation. Washington, DC: Global Partnership for Youth Employment. Retrieved from:

http://www.iyfnet.org/sites/default/files/gpye-m&e-report.pdf

James-Wilson, D. (2008). Youth livelihood development program guide. United States Agency International Development

& Educational Quality Improvement Program. Retrieved from: http://www.equip123.net/docs/e3-LivelihoodsGuide.pdf

http://www.assembly.ab.ca/lao/library/egovdocs/2006/alac/158807.pdf

http://www.communitycouncil.ca/sites/default/files/2014_Youth_Social_Enterprise_Report_CFEEBC_CSPC.pdf

http://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/7728.pdf

http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-social-entrepreneurship/$FILE/EY-social-entrepreneurship.pdf

http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/EY-social-entrepreneurship/$FILE/EY-social-entrepreneurship.pdf

http://www.ncb.org.uk/media/809897/ncb_rsch_9_final_for_web.pdf

http://www.iyfnet.org/sites/default/files/gpye-m&e-report.pdf

http://www.equip123.net/docs/e3-LivelihoodsGuide.pdf


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Junior Achievement USA. (2011). JA graduation pathways. Junior Achievement USA. Retrieved from:

https://www.juniorachievement.org/documents/20009/36541/JA-Graduation-Pathways-2011.pdf/c0228684-acd1-

45b3-85e0-7c98e0e2373e

Mair, J. & Sharma, S. (2012). Performance measurement and social entrepreneurship. (2012). Eds. Christine K.

Volkmann, Kim Oliver Tokarski & Kati Ernst. Social Entrepreneurship and Social Business. Garbler Verlag, Springer

Fachmedien Wiesbaden.

Manpower Group. (2012). Youth Unemployment: Challenges and Solutions: What Business Can Do Now. White Paper.

Retrieved fromL http://www3.weforum.org/docs/Manpower_YouthEmploymentChallengeSolutions_2012.pdf

Mech, E.V, Pryde, J.A., & Rycraft, J.R. (1995). Mentors for adolescents in foster care. Child and Adolescent Social Work

Journal, 12(4): 317‐327

MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership. (2015). Elements of effective practice for mentoring (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA:

Author. Retrieved from http://www.mentoring.org/images/uploads/Final_Elements_Publication_Fourth.pdf

Seelos, C. & Mair, J. (2004). Social entrepreneurship: The contribution of individual entrepreneurs to sustainable

development. IESE Business School. Working Paper 553. Retrieved from: http://www.iese.edu/research/pdfs/DI-0553-

E.pdf

Timmons, J., Mack, M., Sims, A., Hare, R. and Wills, J. (2006). Paving the way to work: A guide to career-focused

mentoring for youth with disabilities. Washington, DC: National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth,

Institute for Educational Leadership. Retrieved from: http://www.ncwd-

youth.info/assets/guides/mentoring/Mentoring_Guide-complete.pdf

Tucker, J. (2011). Making an impact: Assessing Junior Achievement of Canada’s value creation. The Boston Consulting

Group: Toronto, ON. Retrieved from: http://jacanada.org/sites/default/files/BCGReport.pdf

UNICEF. (2007). Adolescents and Civil Engagement: Social Entrepreneurship and Young People. New York, United Nations

Children’s Fund. Retrieved from:

http://www.unicef.org/adolescence/files/Learning_Series_3_Social_Entrepreneurship_24dec2007.pdf

https://www.juniorachievement.org/documents/20009/36541/JA-Graduation-Pathways-2011.pdf/c0228684-acd1-45b3-85e0-7c98e0e2373e

https://www.juniorachievement.org/documents/20009/36541/JA-Graduation-Pathways-2011.pdf/c0228684-acd1-45b3-85e0-7c98e0e2373e

http://www3.weforum.org/docs/Manpower_YouthEmploymentChallengeSolutions_2012.pdf

http://www.mentoring.org/images/uploads/Final_Elements_Publication_Fourth.pdf

http://www.iese.edu/research/pdfs/DI-0553-E.pdf

http://www.iese.edu/research/pdfs/DI-0553-E.pdf

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/mentoring/Mentoring_Guide-complete.pdf

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/mentoring/Mentoring_Guide-complete.pdf

http://jacanada.org/sites/default/files/BCGReport.pdf

http://www.unicef.org/adolescence/files/Learning_Series_3_Social_Entrepreneurship_24dec2007.pdf


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Appendix I – Proposed indicators for evaluating mentorship programs (Timmons, Mack, Sims, Hare

& Wills, 2006)

Mentee

# of youth recruited Race Employment status

# of youth with disabilities School status Post-program follow-up status at

three and six months

# of youth matched with mentor GPA Career interest area

# of youth with disabilities matched

with a mentor

Disability status Special interests

Age of participants Pre-program data collection such as

attendance records or grades

Gender of participants Post-program data such as

attendance records, grades, HS

status, postsecondary education

status

Mentor

# recruited Number screened, trained,

and matched with mentee

with a prior understanding

of disability issues

Gender Special interest

# of mentors who identify

themselves as having a

disability

Type of mentoring match

(e.g., 1:1, group, electronic)

Race

Prior understanding of

disability issues

Frequency of contacts Occupation

Number screened, trained,

and matched with mentee

Duration of match Educational background

Outcomes

Frequency of meetings Satisfaction with mentoring relationship – mentee

Types of joint mentoring activities Satisfaction with mentoring relationship – mentor

Duration of the mentoring relationship Satisfaction with mentoring program by other

stakeholders involved, such as employers, teachers, or

parents

Successful attainment of or progress towards pre-

determined goals


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Appendix II – Contextual factors for youth livelihood development programs (Ellis & Williams,

2011)

Contextual factor Levels Description

Economy driver Factor driven Rely mostly on subsistence agriculture and

extraction businesses. Heavily reliant on labour and

natural resources

Efficiency driven Widespread industrialization and reliance on

economies of scale

Innovation driven Business is more knowledge intensive and services

sector oriented

Conflict level Conflict affected Areas in which there is or recently was pervasive

violence affecting civil populations causing large

scale displacement, migration and civilian

casualties. No firm time frame to move from

conflict to post-conflict but Five years following the

end of conflict classifies as post-conflict

Post-conflict affected

Peaceful Undefined

Population distribution Urban Level of urbanization in a country relative to the

rural population. Difference between total

population and the urban population Rural


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Appendix III– School to work vs school and work (James-Wilson, 2008)

School-to-work paradigm School-and-work paradigm

Transition is a milestone or event Transition is a process over a period of time

“Build a bridge from school to work” “Balance between education and economic activities”

Learn now, apply later Learn while doing


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Appendix IV– USAID Designing effective livelihood intervention strategies sample indicators (James-Wilson, 2008)

Area Measure Example

Overall # of youth participants in different activities after

becoming participants in program

Human

capital

# and % enrolled in formal education

# and % enrolled in nonformal educational

activity

# and % moving from out-of-school or nonformal

education status to formal education

# and % receiving an educational credential

Academic subjects, vocational subjects

Literacy and numeracy, financial literacy and/or

business skill training

Financial

capital

Savings mobilization # of individual savings accounts

# in group savings programs

Student financial aid # receiving loans

# receiving scholarships or stipends to cover

education

Self-employment loans # of self-employment loans for young adults

# who progressed from small test loans to larger

loans

Movement to formal economy # obtaining internships or unpaid work experience

with entrepreneurs or employers

Social

capital

Livelihood coaching # of coaches or mentors helping youth in project

Community service and humanitarian assistance # and % joining groups with community

improvement or humanitarian assistance goals

Civic engagement # and % voting in elections

Positive behaviour # of hours per participant spent learning new skills

Physical

capital

# of participants who establish independent

households

# of participants acquiring tools or work clothes

over the course of the program

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