The Use of Social Entrepreneurship As an Intervention to Enhance Underprivileged Young People’s Sense of Self-Worth and Career Competence in Hong Kong

Because of their young age, lack of working experience, knowledge and skills, young people are easily excluded in the economic job market. It is no need to say about those underprivileged young people who are underachievers in schools with low self-esteem and unclear direction of development. In Hong Kong, the unemployment rate of young people between 15 and 24 is usually twice or even forth than the average unemployment rate even when the economic situation is stable.

To keep in line with the global experience of adopting youth entrepreneurship as an important pillar for the creation of jobs and the reduction of unemployment among young people, the Hong Kong SAR Government had proposed to explore the feasibility of establishing a sustainable Microfinance scheme in the 2011-12 Budget Plan supporting young people at the grass-root level who wish to start their own business. The scheme is believed to be beneficial helping young people identify their career objectives and promoting entrepreneurship as an alternative to traditional models of employment.

Integrating the concept of social entrepreneurship, which emphasizes both the economic return of a business and its social goal of addressing social issues with innovation, a NGO in Hong Kong had organized a “Social-up Youth Entrepreneurship Programme” for underprivileged young people. The programme included a 21-session of training workshop with agency visits to social enterprises and technology start-ups, 60-hour internship, and 6-month pre-incubation training to actualize their project ideas. By recognizing their unlimited talents and potentials, young people were exposed to new learning opportunities. They worked collaboratively to develop their business ideas, in return, to solve social problems. After the programme, their sense of self-efficacy and self-perceived employability were obviously enhanced.