FIN1k offers free training for young entrepreneurs

Recognising the skills gap and the need for a healthier money culture among youth in South Africa, the Innovator Trust launched its 2023 FIN1k Youth Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy training programme. 

This is the second edition of the FIN1k programme which was first started back in 2021 by the Innovator Trust in order to provide youth with the opportunity to empower themselves through financial education.

Set to commence with training sessions from Monday, 27 February to Friday, 24 March 2023, the programme is targeted at young South Africans between the ages of 18 to 35 – this time with a target to train 1 250 youth nationwide within the one-month period.

This year’s FIN1k campaign launched online this week with interested youth already able to register through the Innovator Trust’s website and social media channels. In addition to financial literacy, the FIN1k programme will also focus on providing entrepreneurship skills to participants providing a foundation for youth wanting to start or formalise their side hustle into a structured small business.

“The future of our country is in the hands and minds of our youth. We need to ensure that the youth of South Africa are adequately equipped to become active citizens, making a positive contribution to the economy,” said Tashline Jooste, chief executive of the Innovator Trust.

“The FIN1k programme seeks to do its bit in empowering youth through financial literacy and this year, entrepreneurship skills too, in order to inspire as many young people as possible, to take ownership of their future with confidence.”

The first edition of the FIN1k programme achieved significant success, attracting more than the 1 000 youth target and was well received among South African youth particularly for its innovative approach utilising tech-communication platforms WhatsApp, Zoom and Instagram Live to deliver its training largely through a smartphone device.

Breaking down barriers even further, the programme provides registered participants with data, making it widely accessible and cost-effective for youth from all backgrounds to participate.

The training will focus on topics such as entrepreneurship, personal finance, the online process of starting a business, cyber protection, financial rights and responsibilities, planning and protecting your business, good and bad credit and savings, unpacking all a young entrepreneur needs to know to start and stay in the business game.

The Innovator Trust is an incubation training facilitator for South African SMMEs in the tech entrepreneurship sector. The youth market is a priority sector for the organization, whose core mandate is to upskill and nurture the growth of sustainable, black-owned ICT SMMEs.

They currently administer two other youth programmes across the country, namely the Young Entrepreneurship Programme (YEP) targeted at unemployed, matriculated youth and a Start-Up programme, primarily for tech-based start-up businesses operating for 2 years or less.

Register online to book your seat to be a part of the Innovator Trust’s #FIN1k training sessions in March. You can also head over to @InnovatorTrust on Instagram, to keep up to date with the latest on the #FIN1k programme.

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