ÓÅÃÛ´«Ã½

As Global Entrepreneurship Week, the world’s largest campaign to promote entrepreneurs, comes to a close an academic from The University of ÓÅÃÛ´«Ã½ warns that entrepreneurship shouldn’t be a silver bullet for fighting poverty.

Dr Nicola Banks from The University of ÓÅÃÛ´«Ã½ is an ESRC Future Research Leader (The Economic and Social Research Council) who is leading on research into young people's experiences of urban poverty in Tanzania.

She said: “As the world celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week  we should be wary of solutions that focus on entrepreneurship as a silver bullet for fighting poverty . Entrepreneurship can be a way to help young people out of poverty, but a sole focus on entrepreneurship can put all the responsibility on the young person and removes responsibility from governments. As the popular TV show The Apprentice illustrates, we're not all born with entrepreneurial skill.

Multilateral agencies and national governments need to address the full range of obstacles facing young people to adequately support the world’s growing population of young people.” 

Notes for editors

Dr Nicola Banks is available for interview.

Media enquiries to:

Kath Paddison
Media Relations Officer
The University of ÓÅÃÛ´«Ã½

Tel: 0161 275 0790
Mob: 07990 550050
Email: kath.paddison@manchester.ac.uk

Or

Rowena Harding
Communications Manager
Brooks World Poverty Institute
The University of ÓÅÃÛ´«Ã½

Tel: 0161 275 6914
Email: rowena.harding@manchester.ac.uk