“Flourish” Campaign Uses Social Media to Combat Unemployment

The Flourish campaign uses social media training to get youth some real-world experience and connections.

One Million Acts of Innovation is a global, not-for-profit organization that aims to speed up acts of innovation through “ideation, access and funding” with existing innovation groups, academia, governments and businesses. Flourish, the organization’s bridging program, is a direct response to the unemployment rate among young people, which, in 2013, has fluctuated between 16 and 17.1%.

The goal of Flourish is to give students or recent college and university graduates a chance to use their creative skills and natural leadership abilities to help companies tackle social media challenges. The program carefully selects students who are then provided with free training in advanced social media. Upon completing the training, participants embark upon a 4-to-5 month internship with companies who need part-time assistance in social media.

“Students learn new and in demand skills in social media, get introduced to corporate CEO’s and business owners and build their own social media portfolio,” says One Million Acts of Innovation Co-founder, Taimour Zaman. “Students learn the needs of various businesses and get closer to their dream job.”

Participants are given a unique opportunity to practice various advanced social media tools and connect with business leaders, which in turn gives them real world experience in the business market and expands their networking circle. With new connections and marketable real-world experience, participants will increase their chances of finding permanent employment.

Anyone interested in participating in the Flourish program can get more details at the Flourish website.