Developing youth entrepreneurs: a viable youth employment strategy in Sri Lanka?

Abstract

Entrepreneurship training that leads to increased business creation and expansion is considered a viable employment strategy for youth globally. Many organizations in Sri Lanka have provided entrepreneurship training for more than two decades, and while some established programs attract large proportions of youth, training directed specifically at young people is limited. With no central agency coordinating entrepreneurship training and related data collection, the overall numbers of youth who have received this type of training remain unknown. This chapter provides an assessment of the current approaches and implementation of entrepreneurship programs in Sri Lanka in relation to youth employment and argues for a better incorporation of sociocultural issues in the design and delivery of future programs.