Cameroon - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

iNTERN is a platform that helps companies with an internship management system to manage the internship process. Students can find and apply for all available internship placements in their locality based on their age, field of study location, and skills.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Our product will be able to solve the problems of companies finding interns for their projects and students finding internship placements. It offers tools like mentorship and coaching for interns, access to all kinds of internships despite the field of study, premium tools to enhance productivity for interns, and company file management at a cost of 5,000frs per year for the company.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

We discovered 2 years back that finding interns and internships has long been a threat to students and to hiring managers. Students often dreaded the internship period because finding one that would align with their career paths and their school syllabuses was very difficult. They knew they had to move from region to region to find one that was close to what they wanted, which led to resource wastage, time wastage, and energy wastage. As students at the time, we had to know if we weren't the only people facing this situation. So we conducted a survey where 77% of students found it difficult to land an internship, with about half the percentage finding it difficult to the point of losing hope. Companies also had to share social media postings about vacancies for interns, without knowing the skills and capabilities of those they were accepting on the job.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

- Companies are sure that the interns they onboard have enough skills to carry out the project they want to achieve. - Students are sure that they get internship placements through the platform based on their skills. even if they don't get it, they know they lost nothing. - Students are mentored during the entire internship process on how to accomplish tasks, how to improve their skills and training on other skills they need to adopt. - Students have access to tools that will help them be productive during the internship process.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

- Our project is aimed at serving the students first. This project is more of a solution for students as we realized that most of the benefits are directed toward interns. - Our second target market is companies, organizations, businesses and enterprises of every kind. However, our primary customers are the companies because they get access to a very vetted large talent pool that will become prospect employees for them.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2022-12-11

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

7

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

3

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Neba Desmond - Software Developer Kimbi Favor - Business Analyst Mofiro Jean - Software Developer Shenyuy Goodness - Project Manager Ngum Butlar - Social Media Manager Kelly Bright - Graphics Designer Akumbom Wesley - Business Analyst

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

https://nerdtekc-web.vercel.app/

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

h) IT (digital services, equipment and software)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

4

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

To some extent, our solution aims to mitigate the rate of poverty by providing access to paid internships through our premium plans.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

2

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Internships follow the Competence-Based Approach which is the kind of learning method fostered by the Ministry of Higher Education and Vocational Training in our country. By landing these internships, students not only improve their skills but also gain professional work experience and have the chance to be placed in a professional atmosphere which makes them ready for the job market. In institutions where this kind of training is taught, students get the chance to score greatly depending on what they achieved during the internship period.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

The internships posted by companies are posted to all kinds of individuals, despite their gender, age, or background. This promotes a sense of diversity and inclusion in the application of internships because the factors to apply for internship at a company or organization do not include gender.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

Our solution promotes decent work and economic growth because interns on the platform have a 70% chance of becoming potential employees in the companies they work at. This helps them become employed without having to move in search of jobs. Because their internships align with their career paths, they are sure to get jobs that they will be passionate about. Also, our platform does not promote job postings that have to do with theft, scamming, and similar abnormal money-getting schemes.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

6

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

Our solution also promotes industry innovation because more skilled labor is being employed to every job sector, which leads to room for more development.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

5

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

Our solutions offer every individual the same opportunities and benefits despite their age, background, gender, or ties. This reduces the rate of favoritism.

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

2

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

3

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

4

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

The process of providing a solution for students to land internship placements in our community also includes partnerships with other organizations directly or indirectly involved. For example, our process entails partnering with companies all over Cameroon to support the initiative of the CBA approach by offering work experience and the necessary training needed for students to be ready for the job market. Our partnerships also involve universities making campaigns for the product like the International Labor Organization and the United Nations Organization.

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

4

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

4

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

3

05.08 Justification

Our product has a lot of direct and indirect competition. Regardless, the existing competition has not been able to solve this problem we're solving. This solution is an improvement to existing competition as it helps find internships. Also, our uniqueness lies in the fact that we do not provide job opportunities but we serve as an assurance to secure job placements through training.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

Our potential competitors include LinkedIn, InternConnect, Indeed, GlassDoor, and InternShala. What makes us stand out is the fact that we do not only provide internship opportunities or access to large talent pools but we also provide students with productivity tools to make the whole process less cumbersome.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Yes. Currently, as a student, I am using my role as AWS Cloud Club Captain at my university to train myself on leadership and teamwork. I am also currently working on my defense project that I intend to later convert into a company sometime in the future.