Getting Down to Business! Training in Small Business Skills in Papua New Guinea Teacher's Notes Click on either of these two links for further information: Case Study   Student Activities Overview This case study highlights one of the grassroots strategies being implemented in Papua New Guinea to assist in alleviating the high unemployment being experienced across the country. It also illustrates one way to boost low-income levels among the population. Working in tandem with a number of partners, the Australian Government's Overseas Aid Program is supporting a training program that encourages local people to initiate, maintain and expand their own small business. The project, called Start Your Business/Improve Your Business (SYB/IYB) involves the adaptation of International Labour Organisation (ILO) training materials to the Papua New Guinea cultural context, a Train-the-Trainer model and actual implementation of the 10-day course in four regional areas. Level Upper primary Objectives Students: investigate the types of goods and services available through small business in their local community consider the benefits of small business as a way of providing goods and services identify and analyse innovative ideas for small business development develop empathy with and positive attitudes towards people in developing countries develop an understanding of some of the issues facing people in developing countries Links with nationally-developed statements and profiles Studies of Society and the Environment Investigation, Communication and Participation Resources: Use of Resources, People and Work, Management and Enterprise Natural and Social Systems: Social Systems Preparation copies of the case study copy of the Business Activity 4 - Business Opportunities in my community (given below in the procedure outline) two different coloured pens/pencils for each student Procedure invite the students to name the variety and types of small business operations they know about which offer products or services in their local community: newsagency, cafe, electronics shop, garage, printers etc. Record these on the board. from the group list recorded on the board, students can work in pairs to categorise these into Product Businesses or Service Businesses. Encourage students to add more examples. ask students to brainstorm some of the reasons why individuals or groups of individuals establish and run their own small business. Once students have offered a variety of reasons, invite them to consider what the benefits of small business operations are for the community. introduce the Getting Down to Business! Training in Small Business Skills in Papua New Guinea Case Study. Students read the case study. Use the following questions to check for comprehension: Why is training in small business being undertaken in regions in PNG? Why is the training being done in the rural areas? Who is eligible for the training? What sort of skills are the participants learning? inform students that the class will be examining and completing themselves, one of the actual class activities that the participants undertake in their classes in Step 2 : Developing Your Business Idea Invite students to work in pairs to complete this reflection task below: Business Activity 4 Business Opportunities in my community List products or services that you cannot get in your community Your ideas: List products or services that are of poor quality in your community Your ideas: Once the students have filled out the activity sheet, invite them to circle the businesses they are attracted to in one colour. Using another colour, students circle the businesses they or members of their families might have skills they could contribute to this business. Invite them then to prioritise their top three business opportunities from this exercise. Invite students to share their results and to discuss the ways this exercise might be helpful for PNG workshop participants? Would they suggest any additions to improve the exercise for the participants? Resources Please note: The opinions expressed in the linked WWW sites below, including documents, images, videos or sounds are those of the individuals and organisations involved and do not necessarily represent the views of AusAID or the Australian Government. Concerns or questions should be directed to the authors of the WWW sites in question NOT AusAID. Following the links below will take you out of the GlobalEd website; use your browser's back button to return. The following websites could be useful in extended work on small business: The International Labour Organisation http://www.ilo.org/ Australian Small Business Association http://www.cpsu.asn.au/~asba/ Commonwealth Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business http://dwrsb.gov.au/smallbus.htm * Further information and resources can be obtained from the Professional Development Providers.   Top © Commonwealth of Australia