Compared to adults the youth of today are almost three times as
likely to be unemployed. The global number of young unemployed
increased from 63 million to 71 million between 1997 and 2007.
Source: International Labour Organization
Get involved with Youth Business International
Youth Business International is growing a
global movement of business, governments and civil society
organisations committed to tackling the challenge of youth
employment by developing and supporting young entrepreneurs.
Young people make up 40% of the world’s unemployed, and by 2015
there will be 3 billion people in the world under 25.
During a downturn, young people are more likely to struggle to
find employment and are often the first to lose their jobs.
More than ever, supporting young entrepreneurs is an important
way to reduce unemployment and lift people out of poverty. A
successful entrepreneur often goes on to create more jobs in their
community, and can encourage other businesses to prosper by
creating demand for raw materials or a supply chain for
products.
YBI needs your support to enable us to grow the YBI Network and
bring opportunity to young people all around the world.
Contact us:
Anne-Marie Brennan, Development Director
(For inquiries on sponsorship, funding and
donations)
Hoang-Anh Thi Le, Operations Manager
(For inquiries on establishing new
programmes) 
Sietske van der Ploeg, Operations
Manager
(For inquiries on strategic partnerships)
Governments
Supporting young entrepreneurs helps to reduce the costs to the
state of supporting unemployed young people and helps produce tax
revenue as well as drive economic growth. For example in March 2009
the Canadian Youth Business Foundation announced a deal with the
Canadian government to support 900 entrepreneurs which they
calculate will create an estimated 5,000 new jobs, C$135 million in
sales revenue and C$32 million in tax revenue.
The YBI Network also works with intergovernmental development
agencies in building programmes to support social and economic
development.
Businesses
The YBI Network provides businesses around the world with an
opportunity to show their support for local communities, to create
new market opportunities, and to enable local businesses to
flourish.
Mentoring and supporting young entrepreneurs is an ideal way for
successful businesspeople an way to pass on their knowledge to
young people, as well as develop their own coaching and management
skills.
Civil society organisations
Youth entrepreneurship is a vital way to tackle poverty and to
bring sustainable improvement to local communities. The youth
business programmes in the YBI Network have established
relationships with many international NGOs, local community
organisations, foundations, and many more.