Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) is hosting six-day Management Development Programme (MDP) on 'Young Women Social Entrepreneurship Development Programme' in association with the British Council India. The MDP is scheduled from May 4 – 9 at the IIMK campus and is specially designed for young women entrepreneurs. The MDP provides advanced social enterprise training to female master trainers who will then cascade their knowledge by training aspiring and early-stage female social entrepreneurs in India. The goal of training over 1,200 women entrepreneurs in the first year has been achieved.
The training sessions are designed to upgrade the skills and knowledge of the master trainers and equip them with necessary tools to build competencies on innovative approaches to social entrepreneurship.
The programme is focused on core entrepreneurial competencies such as generating ideas, assessing viability, launch pad networking, management tools, business plans and fund raising as well as topics such as e-marketing, sustainability and work-life balance.
A mixed method is being used for the training - brainstorming, participant observation, case study, group work and group presentation, visual aid, and field visits involving IIMK faculty, guest speakers and experts with evening interactions involving some successful social entrepreneurs.
The programme is being delivered with the support of over 14 local partners, which include management institutions, NGOs and social enterprises. Among the latter are those which market and sell craft products produced by vulnerable indigenous women in a bid to reduce poverty and environmental degradation.