GEW 2024: Panel Discussion held in Maichew Agricultural Poly Technical College

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is an annual event celebrated worldwide to inspire and empower entrepreneurs, innovators, and change makers since 2008. It serves as a platform for fostering entrepreneurial ecosystems by bringing together stakeholders from different sectors, including policymakers, educators, startups, investors, and students. The goal is to stimulate entrepreneurial spirit, share resources, and foster collaboration across boundaries.
As part of the entrepreneurship week, a panel discussion was held in Maichew agricultural poly-technical college on November 26, 2024. 
The panel was accompanied by a paper presentation on “Global Entrepreneurship Week: Roles of EDI Trainers in Fostering Entrepreneurial Spirit” subsequently a discussion was held regarding the role of EDI trainers on fostering entrepreneurial spirit. Various issues were raised by participants of the panel. 
The point of discussion was primarily focusing discharging responsibilities of trainers in providing limitless services to the trainees in skill development and capacity building, promoting entrepreneurial mindsets, customized training programs, mentorship and coaching and ecosystem integration because the youths in our surrounding are exposed for illegal migration. The panelists argued that as part of the EDI trainers we share the problems and shall be part of the solutions by providing extended trainings to untapped Woredas. In addition to the providing the training, conducting researches related to entrepreneurship, impacts of the training, and project proposal shall be prepared to support the disadvantaged group specially to the handicapped and women. The other issue raised was related to the after training service pertaining to identifying and encouraging youths and women who are engaged in innovation and helping them to get additional capacity building trainings. 
In additions trainers were also show their commitments to build EDI images by organizing workshops and events in our working area. To facilitate such events a focal person was nominated and monthly congruence will be held and the gathering was named as “Entrepreneurial café” where a lot of issues will be raised. 
On the other hand, the participants triggered that EDI trainers shall be exemplary to the trainees in particular and the community in general by engaging in business activities in unity that could help as a teaching Centre for the trainees. To facilitate the realization of the plan, three members were nominated by the participants. The panelists also raised the challenges of the training participants related access to finance and work premises and suggested to EDI to solve the bureaucratic challenges on the access to finance. 
Finally, the panelists remarked that EDI trainers are vital catalysts for fostering entrepreneurial spirit in Ethiopia in general and in our surrounding in particular. This, in turn, drives sustainable development and economic resilience, making EDI trainers a cornerstone of Ethiopia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Accordingly, the panelists have concluded that we are committed to work on the following issues to sustain our roles as trainers including working on entrepreneurial ecosystems building, establishing a monthly entrepreneurship café program, establish a taskforce to conduct a study on the local business opportunities, select a research area for enhancing entrepreneurial eco-system in the zonal administration, facilitate entrepreneurial training workshops, work on capacitate trainers and BDS counselors, organize quarterly seminars on entrepreneurship, organize events that enhances entrepreneurial mind setup, work on establishing entrepreneurial networks, and design an environment that stimulates innovators.