Certified ILO entrepreneurship training for individuals, women, youth, NGOs and corporates — delivered by a certified SIYB trainer in Nairobi, Kenya.
Across Kenya, thousands of women and young people complete skills training every year — and still struggle to build sustainable incomes. The reason is almost always the same: they were equipped with skills, but not with the business knowledge to generate a livelihood from those skills.
Entrepreneurship training closes this gap. It is the component that transforms a trained individual into a productive, income-generating economic participant — regardless of whether formal employment exists for them.
"A programme that equips a young woman with skills but not the knowledge to build a livelihood from those skills has completed half the work. Entrepreneurship training is the other half."
ASCEND's entrepreneurship training is not generic content. It is delivered through three internationally accredited frameworks developed by the ILO and UNICEF — with decades of evidence from programmes across Africa and beyond.
The world's most widely used entrepreneurship training framework — delivered in over 100 countries, in 40 languages, over 35 years. A structured, progressive curriculum that takes participants from business idea generation all the way through to business expansion. Bridget Wanyaga Thara is a certified SIYB trainer, making ASCEND one of a small number of organisations in Kenya authorised to deliver this programme.
Designed specifically to address the barriers that prevent women — particularly those with low literacy levels — from starting and growing businesses. GET Ahead goes beyond business skills: it builds confidence, challenges social norms, advances financial literacy, and creates the mindset shifts required for women who may not yet see themselves as entrepreneurs. Specifically assessed and implemented in Kenya.
An award-winning social innovation programme co-developed by the ILO and UNICEF for young people aged 15–24. UPSHIFT doesn't teach young people to replicate existing business models — it equips them to identify problems in their own communities and develop creative, entrepreneurial solutions. Combining workshops, mentorship and seed-funding, it builds the entrepreneurial mindset from the ground up.
Participants engage in an interactive business simulation that mirrors real-life business decision-making — placing them in real business scenarios in a safe learning environment.
Experience running a business — cash flow, stock management and sales decisions
Understand decision consequences in a low-risk, high-learning environment
Strengthen problem-solving, teamwork and entrepreneurial confidence
From the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP), supported by the World Bank — the most comprehensive data available on entrepreneurship training outcomes in Kenya.
Source: World Bank KYEOP Impact Evaluation, Kenya 2025
You have a business idea but don't know how to start — or you're already running a business but want stronger foundations in finance, marketing, planning and growth.
You want to build a sustainable livelihood but face barriers — confidence, access, social norms. GET Ahead was built specifically for you, with a gender-sensitive approach proven in Kenya.
You're navigating a job market that doesn't have enough jobs. UPSHIFT and SIYB equip you to create your own economic opportunity — regardless of the formal employment landscape.
You work with women, youth or communities and want to add entrepreneurship as a structured, accredited, donor-reportable component to your programme design.
If your organisation runs women's economic empowerment, youth employability, skills development, livelihood support, refugee integration, or inclusive education — entrepreneurship skills training is not an optional add-on. It is a programme design imperative.
ASCEND partners with NGOs and CBOs to embed entrepreneurship training as a meaningful, structured and measurable component of programme design — from needs assessment through to impact reporting.
Young people completing vocational training without entrepreneurship knowledge are equipped for jobs that may not exist. Entrepreneurship training gives them the capacity to create their own opportunity.
A trained entrepreneur creates jobs, mentors peers, generates community wealth — multiplying the return on your programme investment.
Businesses launched, jobs created, income generated — entrepreneurship outcomes are among the most measurable and reportable impact indicators available.
A business, once started, continues generating income after the programme ends. Entrepreneurship training creates enduring change beyond the duration of a grant cycle.
Structured, accredited entrepreneurship training across all four SIYB packages, adapted for your specific beneficiary profile and context.
GET Ahead-informed curriculum adaptation that addresses the specific barriers women face and creates an inclusive, empowering learning environment.
UPSHIFT facilitation that builds entrepreneurial mindset, problem-solving capacity and business confidence in young participants aged 15–24.
Trainer development within your NGO or CBO so that entrepreneurship facilitation capability is retained in your organisation beyond ASCEND's direct involvement.
Grounded in IFC-LPI TPMA standards — ensuring outcomes are measurable, documented and donor-reportable across all programme levels.
Deep experience across NGO, community development and corporate sectors in Kenya. We understand the accountability structures and community dynamics that shape effective delivery here.
"A child who learns to see problems as opportunities never stops. Plant the seed early, and you are not just changing an individual — you are changing a generation."— Bridget Wanyaga Thara, Founder & Lead Trainer, ASCEND Training & Development
Whether you're an individual, a women's group, an NGO or a corporate — let's design a programme that fits your context, your people, and your goals.