Apply Now to Join our September Cohort

Our Core life skills training will kickstart in September 2025. You can join the cohort if you are between 18 and 35 years old and reside in satellite towns of the Federal Capital Territory. If you are looking forward to becoming more attractive to employers or starting a business, while leveraging Artificial Intelligence tools,  you can apply to join our award-winning sessions. At YouthPrep, we support young people in making key choices about their financial future that fit their personality and ambition and provide support to increase the likelihood that they are doing decent work.

An illustrative process flow of YouthPrep

What You Should Expect in the immediate (In September).

This is a 5-day in-person core life skills program. Some participants will be admitted to the 3-week online version of this course. The YouthPrep Core Life Skills program will use a structured, participatory, and blended-learning approach to ensure that young people from low-income backgrounds gain the skills, confidence, and opportunities needed for personal and economic growth. Below is a detailed breakdown of the methodology for each activity and the expected outcomes at the end of the project. Skills to acquire will include leveraging generative AI tools, setting personal goal, critical thinking and problem solving, financial intelligence, conflict management, and decent work

On concluding the core life skills program, you will take a human-centred design (HCD) self-assessment test to decide whether to take the employability or entrepreneurship pathway. It is up to you to decide, but the assessment helps.

What You Should Expect Later

For those who take the employability pathway, you will be admitted into a 4-5 week employability program. You will join a 5-day in-person (3 weeks if online), 10-module employability training and a 3-week mentorship program. The employability mentorship program will utilize the HCD approach to help review job goals, CVs, Cover letters, and online profiles and improve social behaviours or habits that attract employers.

For those who take the entrepreneurship pathway, you will be admitted into a 4-5 week entrepreneurship program. You will join a 5-day in-person (3 weeks if online), 10-module entrepreneurship training and a 3-week mentorship program. The entrepreneurship mentorship program will entail leveraging on HCD to review the business canvas, start-up budget, business plan, envisioning financing (business bank account) and legal status (formalization), starting the business with a Minimum Viable Product, and linking entrepreneurs with other business incubation hubs and Technical Vocation and Education (TVET) centres.

At the heart of each level of intervention, our specialists will carry out a mix of randomized control trials and longitudinal pretest-posttest to document lessons and validate the impact of our interventions. Cloneshouse Foundation for African Development and its affiliates will recruit promising young participants to join their team, and intellectual support will be provided for participants who choose the entrepreneurship pathway.

Eligibility/Criteria

It is strongly advised that applicants should not have any other employment or business as this would conflict with the Youthprep programme and make engagement difficult by successful candidates.

• Be a Nigerian citizen based in Nigeria.
• Be 18 or older by August 15, 2025, and be no older than 35.
• Be available to participate in the YouthPrep boot camp and onboarding fully.
• Be available to participate fully in the YouthPrep programme.
• Be able to read, write and speak in English (the program is offered in English)
• Be respectful, direct, and culturally sensitive.
• Individuals from all gender, academic and professional backgrounds and different abilities are welcome to apply. 
• Youth at risk of marginalization, such as people with disabilities (PWDs), returning migrants, young mothers, and those residing in informal settlements and rural areas, are strongly encouraged to apply.

Benefits

• Contribute to youth economic empowerment in Nigeria: Connect and collaborate with young men and women, communities and global partners.
• Coaching and mentorship via blended learning approaches including online and in-person trainings, on-the-job-learning, and structured tutorials.
• Personal and professional growth: You’ll receive unique opportunities to boost your CV and build digital and transferable skills. 
• Access to high-quality training and resources.
• Opportunities to share and learn from peers.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ): Core Life Skills Program

1. How many days is the program?
   The program runs for 5 days, in person.
2.  What time does each day begin and end?
   Sessions are held daily from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with breaks included.
3. Where will the training take place?
   The training will take place in the Central Business District of Abuja,, with a focus on reaching youth in satellite towns and underserved communities.
4. Who can apply?
   Young people aged 18-35, especially those in satellite towns or marginalized communities, are encouraged to apply. Applicants must have completed secondary school education and must be available for all 5 days of the training.
5. Is this a paid opportunity or a job?
   No. This is not a job or paid opportunity. It is a completely free training program designed to equip young people with essential life skills to help them grow, make informed decisions, and prepare for their life’s journey, whether that means finding employment or starting a business.
6. What topics are covered in the training?
   Some key topics include:

1. Understanding yourself (Tree of Life exercise)
2. Setting and reviewing personal goals
3. Critical thinking & problem solving
4. Financial intelligence
5. Artificial Intelligence Literacy. Etc.

What happens after the 5-day training?
After completing the core life skill program, participants will take a self-assessment to determine whether they would be going for the Employability or Entrepreneurship Pathway. On a later date, participants will be contacted to join the Employability or Entrepreneurship Pathway based on the result of the self assessment.

Will a Certificate be provided?

Cloneshouse Foundation will provide a Certificate of Participation