Case Study
An Untapped Force for global Education: an exploration of small and medium enterprises
The Challenge
In early 2020, the Global Business Coalition for Education (GBC-Education) launched a multi-year initiative to build a stronger, more informed, and impactful global network of businesses with the potential to transform education outcomes through strategic and coordinated investments.
The urgency is clear: more than 250 million youth around the world are out of school, and more than half a billion children and youth are in school but not learning what they need to live a full life, to thrive and to succeed in the job market of the 21st century.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are a significant part of the global economy. According to the World Bank, SMEs represent about 90 percent of businesses and more than 50 percent of employment worldwide. Asibey Consulting partnered with GBC-Education to discover how SMEs are supporting education, and to identify opportunities to significantly expand and sustain their engagement worldwide.
Work & Results
We conducted an extensive international desk research of corporate and specifically SME support for education. We then interviewed more than 70 organizations in 18 countries (and in three languages) to better understand the education landscape and how SMEs are supporting education locally and/or internationally. Among those we interviewed, 35 were SME leaders who are involved in education.
Our research culminated in a report released by GBC-Education in February 2021 that describes, through the voices of SME leaders, how they are supporting education. The report describes why, who, when, where and how SMEs are getting involved with the education sector and what opportunities and challenges they experience. We also describe the work of local organizations that are brokering partnerships between the education and business sectors.
In addition to the report, we proposed tailored solutions to boost SMEs’ involvement in education, which GBC-Education is now exploring as part of their global initiative to network businesses and to transform education outcomes.
To hear directly from SME leaders in Nigeria, the Netherlands and the U.S., watch the report’s global launch event, which took place on February 24, 2021 and was moderated by Edith Asibey. And for a summary of the report’s findings, check out our “Five Insights” blog post.
