Entrepreneurship has not become the primary choice for youths. Whereas, by becoming entrepreneurs, the youth takes part in creating jobs and helping to reduce unemployment. Reluctance to become entrepreneurs does not only lie in the mindset and strong desire, but also the difficulty of access to capital from financial institutions.
This was raised in workshop of Entrepreneurship for Students held at the Graduate Seminar Room, UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences on Thursday (7/7). The activity initiated by the Faculty’s Youth Study Center cooperating with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Kospin (Saving and Loan Cooperative) Jasa will present speakers, among others, Chairman II of Kospin Jasa, Teguh Suhardi, a young entrepreneur Firmansyah, and Chairman of the UGM Student Entrepreneurial Program, Ibnu Wahid Fakhrudin Aziz, STP, MT.
Teguh Suhardi said that the factor that causes the lack of youth to become an entrepreneur is because of the access difficulty to the capital from financial institutions and banks. In contrast, the banking institution will assist the loan capital if the business is already going well. "How is the youth able to start a business without capital," said the man who was born in Pekalongan.
Furthermore, Suhardi presented data from several surveys that mention of the 100 new graduates or fresh graduates starting new businesses, only 4 people who can pass the first 5 years. "Only 20 people survived in the second year and of the 20 people, only 4 people who survive until the fifth year," he added. In the view of Suhardi, financial institutions and banks should provide the concept of loans without collateral and a variety of venture capital loan products for beginners.
Meanwhile, young entrepreneur Firmansyah Budi Prasetyo, S.H, said to be an entrepreneur is an option. Apart from talent, that choice can be reached through education. This condition certainly would be better if someone has both. In business, the graduate of the UGM Faculty of Law believes that product name is very important because the name can be a magnet that makes consumers more interested.
Assistant Deputy for Youth and Sports Partnership Development from Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ir. Imam Bonila Sombu, M.Sc., when opening the workshop said that to become an entrepreneur makes the youth a change agent in society, while reducing the radical and violent activities. "We regret if if there is campus burning (such as that in University of Pattimura Ambon) done by few students," he said.
On the sidelines of the workshop, signing of the cooperation was conducted between Ministry of Youth and Sports, Kospin Jasa, and UGM Youth Study Center about support for developing student entrepreneurship in Yogyakarta.