Nasrine Faucheux : “Women entrepreneurship is clearly on the rise”

Certified Academic Coach and Career and Professional Development Consultant, Nasrine Faucheux, provides innovative career guidance. Her company Orient’U has a completely different approach on cognitive sciences, coaching & digital tools. In this interview, she elaborates on entrepreneurship, career opportunities and lack of guidance among the young generation. 

You have recently been selected as the laureate for Mauritius under the WIA 54 programme. How do you perceive the evolution of women as entrepreneurs in the country?
In Mauritius, women entrepreneurship is clearly on the rise and is seen as an attractive career path, a positive choice driven by opportunity rather than necessity. Indeed, entrepreneurship is widely considered a unique source of both empowerments for women and opportunities for economic growth. Nowhere is this truer than in Africa. With the world highest rate of women launching their own business (24%), the African continent is leading the way to promote entrepreneurship as a factor in emancipation.

Is it still difficult for a woman to make a name for herself in the business world?
Mentality change has started, and we are now leaving times promoting gender equality and mobilization of all talents. More and more companies strive to include women as employees and as leaders through the inclusion and diversity strategy. 

Do you believe the way to boardroom is far for women? 
It is true that the economic empowerment of women has known significant progress over the decades, but there is still a long way to go to raise our standard of living to be at par with that of our male counterparts, especially in corporate boardrooms. 

Otherwise, you are an expert in education and career guidance. So, for quite a while, Mauritius is aiming to become a real Education Hub for the continent. Is it achievable?
Indeed, I have launched the activities of my company Orient’U in 2018, which is specialized in academic coaching and innovative career consultancy. Our mission is to guide adolescents and students to build their professional future with an innovative approach. I think Mauritius has various advantages to become an Education Hub for the continent: Geopolitical stability, climate, good location in the Indian Ocean, less expensive than in Europe, etc. I believe in this vision.

It is true that the economic empowerment of women has known significant progress over the decades, but there is still a long way to go to raise our standard of living to be at par with that of our male counterparts, especially in corporate boardrooms."

Do we have the necessary expertise and infrastructure for this?
Nowadays, Mauritius has several world-class education infrastructures on its territory and is becoming attractive for more and more students of the continent. 

As laureate of Women in Africa Entrepreneurship Program and as a founder of a Mauritian education start-up, I have already started to being an ambassador of our country regarding its tertiary institutions by using the WIA network and platform, and I hope it will bear fruit soon. 

We can have an impact by helping young people to build their professional future, by counselling them regarding the labor market, new jobs, variety of professional sectors. We should open their professional perspectives as much as possible."

Young people complain of the lack of career guidance in schools. Do you share this view?
Yes. We have guided dozens of adolescents and students since the start of our activities and, as an academic coach and career consultant, I observe the disconnection between education life and the work world reality. 

Youth is our future, that’s why the main mission of Orient’U is helping students to build their professional project and to make the most suitable academic choices for their future, considering their deep motivations, their cognitive profile, future jobs. And also to prepare them for their entry into the labour market. 

How, as an expert in education, can you help students in determining the right career?
By having a better knowledge of themselves. Our approach combines cognitive sciences, digital tools and academic coaching. We propose complete exploratory assessment to help young people become aware of their best assets. To determine the right career, there has to be a part of introspection. And when the student has determined their objective, they build motivation for their projects and are then well-armed to build the good strategy of studies. A path that will fit and lead them to their destination, despite of the difficulties they will encounter during the journey. 

Why is it that vocational training is given less importance? 
I grew up in France and there was also this trend when I was a student. But acquiring new skills and competencies can extend options for additional career choices. There are also indications that VET may contribute to reducing unemployment and protect people from becoming unemployed in the first place.

Another issue in Mauritius is mismatch. How do you think we can reverse the problem?
According to figures, most fresh graduates who are currently unemployed opted for accounting, management and administration courses. And last year, 46% of students enrolled in Mauritian universities opted for those same courses... The reason behind the oversupply of these graduates could be explained by difficult access to unbiased career guidance. I think we can have an impact by helping young people to build their professional future, by counselling them regarding the labor market, new jobs, variety of professional sectors. We should open their professional perspectives as much as possible.

What is your advice to young people who are ready to step in the labour market and need to make a career choice? 
For some paths, having a degree is important to be selected based on CV. But then, recruiters will concentrate on soft skills, that means non-technical skills but rather behavioral skills: Interpersonal qualities, emotional intelligence, communication skills, adaptation capacity. Those are now essential and will make a real difference. My advice will be a good self-awareness, in order to be able to bring to the fore your best assets.