RELX International has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with local social enterprise Liyab to help facilitate the rollout of the former’s RELX Academy, which seeks to train and produce aspiring entrepreneurs and aid them in establishing their own businesses.
Through the partnership, Liyab, an organization geared towards empowering the next generation of the Filipino workforce through learning content and career support services delivered online, will work closely with RELX International to reach out to participants in its dedicated network to provide university-level entrepreneurship courses for aspiring entrepreneurs.
“As a startup ourselves, we understand the many challenges small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs face especially during these unprecedented times. In partnership with Liyab, we hope to do our bit to equip Filipino entrepreneurs with relevant knowledge and skill sets with the RELX Academy,” said Lawrence Chew, Regional General Manager of RELX International.
Established in 2020, Liyab has worked with a variety of companies, academic institutions, and student organizations to support younger Filipinos in realizing their career goals.
“In the past year, we have truly seen the need to show Filipino youth the various employment, education, and entrepreneurship opportunities that they can engage in to achieve their career goals. We’re glad to have found a partner in RELX International because like us, they see the potential in this next generation and the importance of nurturing that” said Deirdre Conde, CEO and founder of Liyab.
RELX Academy
A global initiative under the company’s recently launched RELX Pledge, the RELX Academy will be first launched in the Philippines, where micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) account for 99.5% of registered businesses in the country.
Through the program, and in partnership with top online course provider edX, RELX will sponsor curated entrepreneurship courses crafted by top universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of British Columbia which will tackle topics like the fundamentals of entrepreneurial operations and designing successful and sustainable business models.
More than equipping entrepreneurs with the skills to achieve business growth and success, through the RELX Academy, the company will also be providing graduates interested in operating a RELX store with support of up to P300,000 including product support of up to P1.7M. Moreover, these entrepreneurs will likewise gain incentives like design support, furniture support, opening promotion and training, without shelling out any franchise fee.
Ian Carlos Go, a RELX Store partner from Cebu was grateful for such opportunities. “My dream of being an entrepreneur is coming true with my new store opening at Streetscape Mall. I’m really thankful to have this opportunity from RELX,” Ian also added, “It’s never easy running a small business and I believe the RELX Academy will help equip other new business owners like me with the most crucial business skills.”
Protecting minors, consumers, and economic livelihoods
The RELX Academy is an initiative of the company’s Green Shoots program that aims to champion entrepreneurship and empower small businesses around the world. These were recently launched as part of the RELX Pledge, a three-pronged global initiative that seeks to protect minors through the Guardian Program, consumers through Golden Shield, and empower economic livelihoods through Green Shoots.
RELX and Liyab Learning are now accepting enrollees for RELX Academy. Sign up today at https://partnerships.edx.org/relx-academy
