Training of Trainers - GPS (Growth & Performance Skills) for entrepreneurs

In 2019, YBI has worked with five of its members (Youth Business Russia, Youth Business Spain, Fundación Paraguaya, ICCO Burundi and MOST Incubator in Kazakhstan) to develop a training curriculum on entrepreneurial soft skills to improve the quality and impact of the support provided to entrepreneurs.

In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, this curriculum has been adapted for online delivery to support as many entrepreneurs who have been affected by the current crisis as possible, by sharing content and tools that they can apply to better adapt to changes and stay positive in times of crisis

As of today, the training has been delivered to 8 cohorts of entrepreneurs from multiple countries around the world, in 3 different languages (English, Spanish and Russian).

YBI will now start to train their members to deliver the curriculum themselves, benefiting an even larger number of entrepreneurs, at a time that they need it the most.

What is the GPS Training?

It is a free online training aimed at promoting and improving entrepreneurial soft skills.

The training is comprised of 7 modules and 4 live sessions over the course of 4 weeks, covering the following soft skills:

• VUCA skills: needed to navigate the world we are all living in - Volatile (more unstable), Uncertain (more difficult to predict), Complex (less simple), and Ambiguous (less clear).  
• Grit: a combination of passion and perseverance to achieve your goals.  
• Agility: thinking and acting fast, changing direction when needed. 
• Ideation and Opportunity Management: finding innovative solutions and creating the right opportunities for you in the market 
• Decision-making: understanding the process and nuances of making good decisions. 
• Negotiation & Persuasion: the skills you need to achieve good outcomes when negotiating with other people. 
• Action focus: proactivity needed to act fast and plan for the future.

Each participant follows the modules at their own pace - they are available 24 hours a day on Google Classroom. They include different sources of relevant content (e.g., websites, video, texts, etc.), self-assessment tools, practical activities and exercises, individual reflection, and assignments. 

The training also includes 4 live online sessions (1:30 hour long), in which entrepreneurs have the opportunity to ask questions related to the content, share their experience and interact with the facilitators and other entrepreneurs.

What do former participants say about the programme?

“The contents were simple to understand and I managed to connect what I learned with my own experience, to see it from a different perspective. I was able to relate to each skill that we worked on and the exercises were also very useful.”

“The training materials were really comprehensive and relevant at this challenging time for businesses around the world. The GPS Training also gave us the opportunity to find friends abroad and help each other.”

“It was very good for us to discuss real problems that are happening in the world. Businesses are under a lot of pressure to respond to these changes. The training was a great solution for my business.”

What can your organisation gain by adopting the GPS training curriculum?

Entrepreneurs have been facing a really difficult time in the current crisis. It has taken a huge toll on them, not only financially but also psychologically and emotionally. They need our support more than ever to navigate the crisis, continue with their business (or create a new one) and stay strong and mentally healthy.

This cannot be achieved without the right set of soft skills!

As an entrepreneurship support organisation, you can make a difference to the entrepreneurs you support by offering a structured and tested online training that will help them develop and strengthen these key soft skills and enhance their chances of survival, now and in the future.

How is the Training of Trainers structured?

The ToT is structured in three different parts:

1. GPS Training: you will go through the training as an entrepreneur, to have a first-hand experience of how the 4-week programme is delivered. You are expected to attend all 4 live sessions and complete the 7 modules (including assignments submission) to have an in-depth understanding of the programme, its content and how it is delivered.
2. Training of Trainers: following your participation in the training, you will join two 1.5-hour sessions, where the facilitators will explain all the ‘behind the scenes’ of running the training. You will then have access to all training materials, including the facilitators’ manual, Google Classroom content and instructions on how to deliver the live sessions.
3. Follow-up support: once the ToT is completed, you will have access to follow-up support for the next 6 months, to clarify your questions, reinforce the learnings and work on any challenges you might be facing locally when delivering the training. The follow-up support will happen in three different forms:

• 1-hour calls with your training team every month (compulsory)
• Additional calls requested by YBI or your organisation (based on need)
• Eventual group calls with other organisations that are also delivering the training.

Requirements

In order to access the training, there are a few requirements for your organisation and also for the individuals who will attend the training.

As an organisation, you will need to:

• Be a YBI member, with one of the following accreditation status: pre-accredited, unconditionally accredited or conditionally accredited.
• Support the cohort recruitment by getting at least 10 entrepreneurs to join the training, alongside your trainers.
• Send the training manager (or similar role) to join and complete the whole ToT programme.
• Send at least another trainer to join and complete the whole ToT programme.
• Commit to the follow-up support, especially the 1-hour monthly calls in the 6 months after the training.
• Sign a Commitment Letter in which you commit to:

1. Submit the relevant data from each cohort (e.g., number of participants, completion rate, feedback survey, trainers' feedback, etc.).
2. Consult with YBI when translating, changing and/or adapting any element of the training.
3. Consult with YBI when other trainers in the organisation will start to deliver the GPS training (to agree on how the ToT will take place).
4. Not to share the curriculum with any individual or external organisation without a written consent from YBI.

The individuals who will join the training need to meet the following requirements:

• Have a native or intermediate level of English.
• Have access to good internet connection.
• Being able to complete all 3 parts of the ToT:

1. GPS Training: complete 7 modules and join the 4 live sessions at the dates and times established (according to the schedule below), during the 4 weeks of the training.
2. ToT sessions: join the 2 ToT sessions, according to the schedule below.
3. Follow-up support: join 1-hour monthly calls with the facilitator in the 6 months after completion of the ToT, plus any additional individual our group calls requested by YBI.

We have a limited number of organisations that we can train in each ToT, so before you register, please make sure you meet all the requirements.

If for some reason you do not meet one or more of the requirements and still want to join the training, please contact Carol Appel, Head of Training at YBI, via e-mail (carol.appel@youthbusiness.org) to discuss your specific case.

Timeline

Registration from 3rd May to 3rd June

GPS Training from 7th June to 1st July. Live sessions (1:30 hours long) on the following days:

• Monday, 7th June - 2 pm (BST)
• Monday, 14th June - 2 pm (BST)
• Monday, 21st June - 2 pm (BST)
• Thursday, 1st July - 2 pm (BST)

Training of Trainers sessions on 13th July and 15th July from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm (BST).

Follow-up support from 19th July to 15th January (dates of the monthly calls to be agreed with each individual organisation).

How to register

Sign up for the training here.

After submitting your registration form, YBI will contact you via e-mail within a few days to confirm your participation.

Contact

If you have any queries, please contact Carol Appel, Head of Training at YBI, via e-mail at carol.appel@youthbusiness.org.