Think Like a Parent, Act Like a Coach

How To Prepare Your Child To Succeed

In Anzisha Prize’s Ten-Year Reflection book, Unlocking Africa’s Hidden Job Creators, we reiterated our belief that entrepreneurship is a solution to the youth unemployment crisis, and parents play a critical, but often overlooked role.

Now, for many, even thinking about entrepreneurship as a career option creates anxiety. We took a step back to understand how parents, caregivers and guardians of young people feel about the future of work, in general, and entrepreneurship, specifically. After all, any solutions we craft as a community to support young entrepreneurs must factor in the concerns as well as the expertise of their champions.

What resulted was the second volume in our Parenting the Boss series: Think Like a Parent, Act Like a Coach. 

Here is an excerpt from the book:

Entrepreneurship has a polarizing reputation in many circles, for reasons ranging from negative or positive personal experiences to inadequate or inaccurate information. In a survey we conducted in 2020, a majority of parents reported having some understanding of entrepreneurship. 

88% of parents in the survey affirmed the importance of raising awareness of entrepreneurship among young people, and 67% agreed that entrepreneurship was a viable career option for their children. Yet, only a quarter of respondents, roughly, felt prepared to support their child(ren) to explore entrepreneurship opportunities. This is an enormous gap that we cannot – must not –ignore!

So, what does this have to do with you and your child?

1. Unemployment rates continue to rise around the world, with three times as many young people being unemployed as adults. In Africa, specifically, with its rapidly-growing youth population, jobs are not being created quickly enough to absorb new entrants into the formal labor market.
2. Career pathways are not linear anymore. There exists an opportunity crisis, where even university graduates, who are presumably skilled for employment, struggle to land jobs right after completing their studies.
3. Moreover, an estimated 65% of children entering primary school today will likely work in roles that do not yet exist. 

These figures paint a stark reality – a potentially dismal future – that we cannot ignore. This reality compels us all to think differently – creatively and proactively – about how we can enable the youth in our lives to secure their future. We wrote this book for parents thinking about how to prepare their children for the world of work in a global economy where entrepreneurship will continue to play an undeniable role.  

Given present economic realities, we need to start thinking more creatively about how to set our children up successfully for life after school. So, what if you could design a map to help your child navigate the world of work? What if you could prepare your child for a career in entrepreneurship the same way you would for further studies or a mainstream career?

If you are already thinking ahead to your child’s trajectory after secondary school, The Anzisha Prize is offering a 3-part course which explores the current employment landscape and shares tools and strategies to guide your child’s entrepreneurial journey.

When you enroll for the course, you will receive a FREE copy of our latest eBook, written for the 21st-century parent!