Partnership and Entrepreneurship Development Advisor - WUSC

WUSC (World University Service of Canada) is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people. We bring together a diverse network of students, volunteers, schools, governments, and businesses who share this vision. Together, we develop solutions in education, economic opportunities, and empowerment to overcome inequality and exclusion for youth around the world, particularly young women and young refugees.

WUSC currently works in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $40 million. We have over 90 staff in our Ottawa office, and over 200 people overseas implementing 16 development projects in collaboration with donors such as Global Affairs Canada, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the African Development Bank.

Job Description

• Assignment Type: National Volunteer
• Eligibility Requirements: Open to citizens of the assignment country only
• Assignment ID: VA-106032
• Partner: Social Enterprise Ghana
• Duration: 4 months

Assignment Context

Are you passionate about increasing economic opportunities for women's businesses?

As the Partnership and Entrepreneurship Development Advisor for Social Enterprise Ghana, you will provide support to the executive director to identify potential partners and green business opportunities for women entrepreneurs in Ghana. This assignment is intended to support a women's green start-up access to finance initiative at SE Ghana.

Project Description

Volunteering for development is one of the important ways in which WUSC pursues its mission. The IGNI+E project, funded by Global Affairs Canada, supports over 70 partner organizations to advance gender equality and the economic empowerment of 1.2 million youth around the world.

IGNI+E harnesses the knowledge, capacity and expertise of skilled Canadians through volunteer assignments and public engagement activities to assist partners in improving their performance, advocating for gender equality, and implementing more sustainable, innovative and inclusive initiatives and services for poor and marginalised youth, particularly young women.

Overseas, our volunteers collaborate with a wide variety of partners, including enterprise and social enterprise development incubators, skills training centres, women's organizations, and youth groups. In Canada, WUSC works with institutions and individuals to identify, prepare, and support volunteers who travel overseas to support our partners.

Our network in Canada also works with WUSC to raise awareness among Canadians to inspire greater action on global development issues. Our collective focus is on sustainable and inclusive changes to create a better world for youth.

Partner Description

The goal of Social Enterprise Ghana (SE Ghana) is to organize and develop a strong ecosystem for the social enterprise sector by increasing funding, driving policy, intensifying learning and innovation and ensuring that there is adequate research and data on the sector. SE Ghana is a part of the larger African Social Entrepreneurship Network (ASEN) which seeks to improve the social entrepreneurship ecosystem across the continent.

SE Ghana, like other networks around the world, brings together social entrepreneurs to support one another, lead development in the social entrepreneurship space, and advocate for their shared interests

Roles and Responsibilities

• Conduct research and identify financial institutions and donors interested in supporting women with their green entrepreneurship business
• Support women entrepreneurs in developing their businesses for funding opportunities in the social enterprise ecosystem
• Identify potential partners willing to support the scale of the IGNI+E – Social Enterprise Ghana Green Champions project initiative
• Participate in pre-assignment training
• Participate in at least 3 public engagement initiatives before, during, or after the assignment. Volunteers will be equipped with the tools, training, and support to achieve these goals. Volunteers will also have one virtual check-in with the Public Engagement Officer throughout the course of their assignment
• Ensure that a gender equality lens is consistently applied in the execution of all activities
• Support partners to empower young women and promote a culture of gender-sensitive representation in all activities and program benefits
• Submit reports as required by the partner organization and by WUSC.

Required Skills or Experience

• Degree and/or training in Social Science or a related field
• Ability to conduct analytical research and reports
• A commitment to gender equality, youth inclusion, and international volunteering
• Flexibility, adaptability, excellent interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity
• Written and oral fluency in English.