ManpowerGroup, a leader in innovative workforce solutions, has inked a strategic deal with Injaz Al-Arab, a junior achievement worldwide member which works with corporate and the government in Mena region to transform youth into business leaders.

The duo signed the MoU at the recent World Economic Forum on the Mena and Eurasia 2012 held in Davos, Switzerland.

As per the deal, ManpowerGroup will advise Jordan-based Injaz al-Arab on entrepreneurship training for Arab youth to be provided via an online portal and also help create a think tank that will identify policy and future training designed to upskill youth as entrepreneurs.

E-learning that leverages ManpowerGroup's expertise on skills development will give more youth access to the competencies training needed to secure work or create new businesses, which in part help create the jobs needed in this region.

And as a social network, the online portal will connect youth with each other, mentors and potential sources of capital – to combat youth exclusion in the Arab world, said the US-based ManpowerGroup.
 
'Youth unemployment and underemployment are creating an underclass of unskilled, unprepared youth,' remarked David Arkless, ManpowerGroup president of corporate and government affairs.

'Entrepreneurial training does more than just mobilize future potential business owners. It builds leadership and networking skills that can be applied across the business world – enabling young people to more effectively launch and sustain careers,' he added.

Not all youth exposed to the training will incubate companies. But all youth need to be work-ready to compete in today's increasingly competitive Human Age economy. This training platform will also improve academic motivation and an understanding of how individuals drive business success. 

Commenting on the alliance, Soraya Salti, Injaz al-Arab regional director and junior achievement senior vice president, Mena said, 'Aligning ourselves with a global leader like ManpowerGroup is a tremendous milestone in the quest to promote youth entrepreneurship in the Arab world.'

'Our combined efforts will help empower a new generation of Arab youth to redefine the Arab world of today and shape the Arab world of tomorrow,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service