The Goal of Focus Club: To establish a Business Empowerment, Job Training and Placement Center (BEJTPC) and create an incubator to house, nature, guide, instruct and empower young poor business and aspiring entrepreneurs to successfully build and maintain their own businesses.

The Center will serve as a model for individual youth, youth groups and organizations within the community, city and country, and assist in encouraging youth to start business. The center will provide culture specific training, administrative and operating support for up to five years during the growth phase of a new business.

The center will also integrate HIV/AIDS education among the youth participating in the program, by promoting activities supporting behavior change and HIV prevention, through information dissemination, using advocacy, seminars, social mobilization and program communication in order to achieve social development benefiting the youth.

ABOUT THE CENTER

The Business Empowerment, Job Training and Placement Center (BEJTPC) will be located at Uasin Gishu District Head Quarters Building-Ministry of Public Works wing –Eldoret -Kenya

It is a community-based operation focusing on Youth development in terms of Business Development, Career Training, Micro- Credit and Job Placements. Young business owners are provided technical support and business training skills in the areas of bookkeeping and accounting, cash management, employ relations and how to write a business plan. Grants are also awarded for start-up businesses.

The Center will offer attractive, quality office space, complete with office equipment, supplies, furniture, conference room, Internet access, and secretarial staff resources to small, start-up businesses. The Center will also house a Business Info-Center, and a Technology Center.

The Center will seek to link “Focus Club" Youth with Employers and will create a data base of Resumes of all the members.

Through the Job Training and Placement Center, Job seekers will be provided counseling on how to properly complete job applications and how to improve interviewing skills. The staff at the center will provide encouragement and skills preparation for youth with low self-esteem and a history of unsuccessful interviews.

SERVICES AND SHARED RESOURCES

Since the “Focus Club” is a community-based operation concentrating on business Development, Career development, Job Training and Placements. The Center will operate a Business and Entrepreneurial Training Program (BETP), seeking to involve poor, low to moderate-income youth in personal and community development.

The Center will have two focuses, business and Career development. The target youth will be provided technical support and business training skills in the area of bookkeeping and accounting, cash management, employ relations and how to write a business plan. The Center will offer quality office space, office equipment, conference room facilities, supplies and secretarial staff resources to small businesses.

Business and Entrepreneurial Training Program (BETP) Services

• Business Information Center.
• Business counseling.
• Business plan assistance.
• Business seminars.
• Guide to financial resources.
• Computer training.
• Micro-Credit Services

Business and Entrepreneurial Training Program: Shared Resources

• Facilities manager
• Office manager.
• Administrative staff.
• Conference room
• Kitchen facilities.
• Internet access.
• Photocopier
• Telephones.
• Fax machine.
• Security
• Utilities
• Office supplies
• Recycling
• Maintenance.

JOB TRAINING & PLACEMENT

The Center will run a Job Training and Placement Program (JTPP). This is an innovative Non-profit run program that aims to link the many un-employed Kenyan youth with the very elusive jobs. The JTPP identifies, acknowledges and creates a training methodology that is sensitive to the needs of the youth, and equally integrates HIV/AIDS education as a supplementary requirement.

On a quarterly basis the JTPP will offer a culturally sensitive pre-employment training workshop, with a stint of AIDS education taught by instructors and experts in the subjects. Topics included in the workshops are: The difference in Mindsets; Preparing to get a job on Venus; Exploring the new Frontier; Staking your claim; Tapping the Goldmine.

Other components of the Job Training and Placement Program include:

• Job Application Assistance
• Interviewing Skills
• Career Assessment
• Computer Training.
• Job Interview Referrals
• Job Counseling
• Resume Writing
• Reference Confirmation.
• Job Skills Evaluation
• Job Search Skills
• Job postings
• Job Placement Assistance

BUSINESS INFO CENTER

The Business Information Center or BIC will be a one-stop location for information, education and training designed to help young entrepreneurs start, operate and grow their businesses. Private sector co-sponsors, Retired Executive volunteers, representatives from other local small business developing centers, The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other educational-or-business related organizations will assist in the operations of the center and provide services to the youth.

Resources Offered by the BIC

The BIC will provide the latest in high-tech hardware and software, database research capability, graphics and reference materials, business and industry publications, Videotapes, CD-ROM Titles.

The counselors and Consultants of the BIC will be drawn from either working or retired business executives, who will share their experience and expertise in financing, marketing and management of businesses with the centers young entrepreneurs.

The Business Information Center will offer Courses, Workshops and seminars covering all aspects of starting and operating a business, to enterprising youth in the country.

Technology has revolutionized the business environment. Companies and Government agencies are increasing their use of technology and electronically streamlining their processes, including their purchasing and selling. Business-to-Business Commerce is growing at a rapid rate and is projected to be a major growth area in the Internet economy. Like all businesspersons, poor, low-to-moderate income youth entrepreneurs must understand these trends and develop strategies to address them.