Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Reaching Those Who Need it the Most: The Challenges of Effective Entrepreneurship Programs

Nov 6, 2012 6:00 PM ET
Campaign: Empowering Students, Teachers, and Entrepreneurs to Succeed in the 21st Century

HP Data Central Blog

by Michael Thacker

There are more than seven billion of us, spread across every continent. We live in cities, towns, villages, hamlets and in the far-flung dots on the map. We all need the same things– access to safe water and food, educational opportunities, secure housing, etc. – and governments, nonprofit organizations and businesses have been trying for years to most effectively reach people with programs to fill the gaps.

For instance, there are more than 75 million unemployed youth around the world that desperately want, but don’t yet have access to, educational resources that will help them establish or support their business ideas. Entrepreneurship has been sparked in recent years by organizations such as Kiva and KickStarter, both of which encourage people around the globe to become their own bosses, shape their own careers and find their own path toward a better life. Programs like these help inspire change and provide financial support for people, but before budding entrepreneurs can get to that stage, they need to start at square one. Entrepreneurs from all walks of life are trying to grow a business many on limited resources and they might not have the time or access to resources to maximize the opportunities presented to them and bring their ideas to fruition. That is where programs like HP LIFE have come in.

HP LIFE has successfully reached more than 1.2 million entrepreneurs since launching in 2007, providing them with access to IT training and online activities that educate them on basic business and IT skills.   The program has resulted in more than 43,000 new jobs created or maintained and nearly 20,000 businesses through its 340 training centers in 49 countries. 

On November 1st, we launched HP LIFE e-Learning, which takes HP LIFE, to the cloud.

To create and implement HP LIFE e-Learning, HP has joined forces with global nonprofit organization Education Development Center (EDC), which addresses some of the world’s most urgent challenges in education, health and economic development and manages more than 250 projects in 23 countries.

HP LIFE e-Learning is a groundbreaking initiative that is:

  • Free of Charge and Available To Everyone Based on Their Schedule. It doesn’t matter if you want to learn about marketing at 8 p.m. on a Saturday or 3 p.m. on a Tuesday – HP LIFE e-Learning is there when you are. The program will also be available on HP’s cloud, a safe and secure way to learn, use and save information. Finally, you can learn at your own pace. Need to skip a lesson? Not a problem. Take it when you’re ready.
  • A Support System: After you’ve taken introductory courses and shown your commitment to entrepreneurship, HP will provide e-mentoring services. You’ll not only get the foundational skills needed to succeed, you’ll also get a partner for the journey. While you’re learning the new skills, so will millions of other new HP LIFE e-Learning users, who you’ll be able to connect with and learn tips and tricks as well as share your own.
  • A One-Stop Shop: HP LIFE e-Learning is designed to be what you need, when you need it. The courses focus on four main topics: finance, marketing, operations and communication. With the knowledge learned in the modules, you’ll be well-prepared to successfully start or support your business idea.
  • Practical and Usable: The skills and resources you learn as an HP LIFE e-Learning participant won’t just be good knowledge to have, they’ll help you grow your business by providing practical skills for your data, finance or marketing management. For instance, one module teaches all about using spreadsheets to track expenses while another is on social media marketing to reach your customer base.
  • Available Around the World: Offering the HP LIFE e-Learning program through the cloud means HP can dramatically broaden access to the program, making valuable training available to the users in the most remote regions of the world, like those far-flung dots on the map. We see this as a valuable way to get resources to many more potential entrepreneurs and existing small businesses and provide them with a powerful learning experience that can lead to both economic and personal growth. Thus far, we have users registered from more than 200 countries and we are excited to see additional countries join us.

HP LIFE e-Learning is waiting for you. Sign up today.