Bedaya Centre and Qatar Shell have delivered training to volunteer mentors who will coach thousands of students across the country in Enterprise Challenge Qatar 2016-2017.
Enterprise Challenge Qatar is a programme that encourages young people in Qatar to consider entrepreneurship as a career path by enhancing their business knowledge and equipping them with valuable business skills, such as teamwork and strategic thinking.
The programme is delivered to students by volunteer mentors from a variety of professional backgrounds, including local business owners with experience in establishing and leading successful
ventures.
Last year the programme reached to more than 1,000 students from 25 schools and 13 universities across Qatar. The mentors participate in a series of ‘train-the-trainer’ sessions to equip them with the skills needed to coach students on general business skills, as well as how to make profits in an ethical manner.
Mohamed al-Muhanadi, one of the ‘Enterprise Challenge Qatar 2016-2017’ volunteer mentors, said: “It is an honour to be participating in Enterprise Challenge Qatar as a volunteer mentor.
“This programme has a great positive impact on our younger generation as it develops entrepreneurial skills, ethics, and strategic thinking. Those young students are the future leaders of Qatar, and having been chosen to be part of building this community is such a pleasure.”
The Enterprise Challenge Qatar programme has different levels for high school and university students, and is made up of three parts: the Ethical Business Challenge, which tests participants’ ability to balance the economic, environmental and social performance of their company; the Business Simulation, which familiarises students with general business concepts from inception through trading, finance, sales, marketing and production; and the Grand Finals, where university and school teams compete to demonstrate the best
business idea.
The programme will run from October 2016 until the Grand Final competition on March 2017.
In 2014, the programme received special praise and recognition during the ‘UK Mentor of the Year Awards’ hosted by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales at the Sandringham Palace in the United Kingdom.
In 2015, Qatar Shell and Bedaya won SDC’s Reyada ‘Outstanding Entrepreneurial Support’ award for their support to Qatari entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized business
enterprises.
The Enterprise Challenge competition was created by Prince’s Trust International, a UK-based not-for-profit organisation established by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, with a range of mentoring programmes aimed at fostering opportunities for young people. Qatar Shell is the founding partner of Prince’s Trust International in Qatar, and together with Bedaya, has worked to bring the Enterprise Challenge to Qatar.