Partnership to empower women entrepreneurs
Johannesburg – Uber has launched a high-impact learning programme to help women drivers and those in their communities develop skills needed to thrive as independent entrepreneurs, the company says in a statement.
“For this reason, Uber is partnering with African Management Institute (AMI) to deliver pilot upskilling programmes in South Africa. As one of the largest platforms for independent and flexible opportunities, Uber is committed to empowering women through skills development that will help them expand earning generation opportunities for their families and communities. In partnership with AMI, Uber is offering two personal development and entrepreneurship programmes; Skills for the Future and the Micro-enterprise Accelerator,” it said.
CEO and co-founder of AMI Rebecca Harrison says the women entrepreneurs can engage in learning on the go and gain skills they can apply to their businesses right away. “Instead of training in concepts and theories, AMI’s approach relies on teaching practical business skills and providing management tools that can be downloaded on a phone or laptop, and immediately applied as they work, anywhere and at any time.”
The four-month Skills for the Future programme focuses on women drivers to help them address barriers to success as a modern independent entrepreneur.
“The programme will also help participants understand and financially plan for the risks that employment mobility can bring. Some of the challenges the programme addresses include managing competing priorities, effective planning, communication, managing difficult clients, and personal finance management.”
Harrison said the six-month Micro-enterprise Accelerator programme focuses on helping community members improve the performance of their small businesses. “Through the programme, entrepreneurs learn how to track key financial and performance business, understand the gaps in their key business processes and implement key business practices to improve/grow their business.”
Uber Sub-Saharan Africa director Alon Lits says: “Over the last few years we have seen how technology enabled thousands of people in the country to leverage earning opportunities through platforms like Uber and others. Through innovative partnerships such as these, we can improve the quality and security of independent opportunities while preserving the flexibility that entrepreneur’s value.”
