Our speakers for Friday’s meeting were Ralph Carlson, ray@rotapreneur.com , Chair of the Vocational Service, for Rotary District 5300 and Arcadia High School instructor Susan Stalling, who teaches a class in entrepreneurship at the high school.
As we approach closure on defeating Polio throughout the world, Rotary’s new focus is shifting to job creation and entrepreneurship. The goal of Rotary is promote entrepreneurial education and training to the end of job creation and a way out of poverty for many millions of the people of the world. The creation of new businesses through learning to create and develop business plans with the help of Rotarians, who will utilize their vocation skills and experiences, in assisting students and young people, will be the goal.
In a study conducted in Sweden, 24% of those who attended entrepreneurial education started their own business within the next ten years and hired on average four employees. Thus, five jobs were created for every five persons trained, all at a nominal cost.
This program started in Poland in 1991, in 1995 in Pasadena and as of 2012 in Nigeria. It has been implemented annually to many nations. In Nigeria, due to the training, over 770 business plans have been created, which will lead to new businesses and jobs in that country. With this education now available, it is hoped to help women support themselves and as an indirect benefit, there has been a lessening of HIV in that country.
Susan Stalling indicated that Arcadia Rotary will have its own entrepreneurial student in a district wide competition in the forthcoming year. In her class at AHS, students learn the means of building a business plan, what an imaginary business will face in competition, estimating annual sales, market share, expenses of operations, permanent and temporary costs of operation and a mission statement. In the class, students learn the need for research, business formation, cost of employment and creating power point presentations. Another aspect is pricing and productivity. She states that many students after graduation and attending her class, have seriously given consideration to starting their own businesses.
In summary, Job Creation & Entrepreneurship is an up and coming activity of our District. There will be opportunities for Rotarians to travel to places such as Cambodia and the Philippines to instruct young people on how to draft and create a business plan that could ultimately result in new job creation. Due to skyrocketing unemployment, helping high school graduates to formulate plans for new businesses will give them new hope and motivation to work for future jobs and employment.