Economic development

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Podcast: » HP GET-IT combines technology skills with entrepreneurial know-how

HP believes that information technology (IT) has a critical role in accelerating economic development. It gives people skills needed to succeed in business and helps individuals and businesses access information and customers. It also saves businesses time and improves efficiency.  

We donate money, time and products to enhance professional skills and increase entrepreneurship opportunities in underserved communities. Small businesses are key to stimulating economic development, so we focus our support on micro-enterprises.

In 2007, we donated $5 million in cash and HP products to support economic development through microenterprise development.

Working with the London Benchmarking Group, we launched an initiative to assess the impact of our microenterprise programs in Asia Pacific and Japan(APJ).

	Microenterprise development programs

Below are examples of HP’s support for micro-enterprise development around the world in 2007.

Americas

In 2007, we awarded 40 grant packages totaling $2.3 million in the United States and Puerto Rico and 24 grant packages worth a total of $480,000 to 14 organizations throughout Latin America.

As an example, HP collaborates with Pro Mujer Mexico, an organization that provides financial services and training to improve the lives of poor Mexican women. In 2007 we donated over $100,000 in equipment and cash to enable Pro Mujer learning centers in five states, where women can earn diplomas in basic computing skills. The qualification covers the skills needed for day-to-day business activities such as contacting suppliers by e-mail and developing and printing promotional materials. The course is helping the women improve their businesses as well as their personal financial situations, and we estimate 2,000 women will graduate in the next year.

APJ

In 2007, HP provided 18 grants worth up to $80,000 to support micro-enterprise programs in nine countries in Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ). As part of the micro-enterprise development program, HP APJ hosted two Train the Trainer sessions for the HP micro-enterprise curriculum. Thirty participants attended the training.

In 2007, we provided grants to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which supports small businesses in the region. The organization is using the funding to provide information and communications technology training to small business owners, including entrepreneurs in clothing manufacturing, mobile phone supplies, and video and photography services in Java, Indonesia. The training will enable participants to diversify how they promote their goods, rather than having to rely on word of mouth and walk-by trade. The business owners are also being taught the skills needed to start exporting their goods—using computers to manage staff, customers and orders.

Europe, the Middle East and Africa

Many young people in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) lack the business and IT skills and training opportunities they need to find work. In 2006 in the EU alone, 5 million people under the age of 25 could not find jobs after graduating from secondary schools and universities. That represents 18 percent of the age group and more than twice the unemployment rate for the general population.¹

In 2007, HP launched Graduate Entrepreneurship Training through IT (GET-IT), a program to help graduates and people under 25 years of age in 17 countries across EMEA find work or start their own businesses. The program teaches business IT skills in areas such as finance, marketing, and general and technology management. GET-IT is being integrated with established job creation and entrepreneurship programs run by local nonprofit organizations in EMEA. We provide IT equipment, including student laptops, PCs for the trainers, printers, cartridges, and software and training material in local languages. We also offer the trainers guidance on course content and technical and facilitation skills. In collaboration with the Micro-Enterprise Acceleration Institute, HP held three guidance courses in Russia, South Africa and Switzerland to teach trainers from local organizations how to teach GET-IT courses to students in their countries.   

Thirty-five nonprofit training organizations in 17 countries provided GET-IT training. The program is aimed at reaching 6,000 young people in its first year (by May 2008). To measure the program’s effectiveness, we have asked grant recipients to report back on the number of students trained, course evaluations, and feedback from participants and trainers.