Prime
Education programme popularises hard skills
Mr George Mutekanga, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Private schools and Institution of Higher Learning. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- In a bid to change the livelihood of young people, Junior Achievement Uganda partnered with Zurich Foundation and the Education ministry to impact the lives of the youth through hands-on training.
A report by Unicef that revealed one in 10 pupils in Uganda did not report back to school after the Covid-19 pandemic has challenged actors in the sector to think outside the box.
One of the solutions proffered to address the challenge is vocational training. In light of this, a social equity programme targeting the youth aged between 16 and 25 appears to be gaining traction.
The programme that focuses on building skills and mindset for work and entrepreneurship is aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations to end poverty and protect the planet by 2030.
In a bid to change the livelihood of young people, Junior Achievement Uganda partnered with Zurich Foundation and the Education ministry to impact the lives of the youth through hands-on training.
Ms Carol Ndilima, a project lead at Junior Achievement Uganda, said the programme is estimated to impact 10,000 students.
“The programme, which involves a three-day boot camp, will impact on the youth in four districts of Kampala, Jinja, Mukono and Gulu,” she said.
Mr George Mutekanga, the assistant commissioner for private schools and institutions at the Education ministry, said this initiative is a tool for creating innovative young entrepreneurs.
Ms Ndilima shared that the project reveals boundless potential among learners since it subjects school dropouts from the aftermath of the pandemic to learn a skill.
“We will have 200 applicants participating in an intensive boot camp, after which one will be required to take on a self-based online entrepreneurship module and eventually a social impact project that leverages their skills to solve societal problems.”
The certified project that is intended to run for four-five months, will also earn winners grants or funding.
Mr Mutekanga also commended the programme for its ability to enable students to learn how to market their skills and build creative thinking and financial freedom.
Experience
Ms Linda Abeja, an alumnae and vice president of the Youth Coalition for SDGs, told Sunday Monitor that the programme makes no claim to have a silver bullet; it addresses itself to “simple problems.”
She added: “Social innovations through skill sets allow us to go through the most challenging but interesting times because they offer opportunities.”
She also pointed out that the project’s allows the youth to contribute to societal well-being through understanding the community and challenges therein, as well as equipping them with skills to harness those opportunities to create change.
The initiative has adopted a number of platforms to reach out to their target groups.
Ms Ndilima said: “We have built synergies with existing partnering companies that have an existing database of youth in our estimated age bracket such as schools, institutions, NGOs and vocational institutions.”
She said the programme exploits platforms such as digital marketing, television and radio, which appeals to their target audiences.
Mindset change
Mr Mutekanga urged the youth to add valuable time to their vacation schedules through a creative mindset enhanced by the initiative.
“Young people ought to use this programme to think creatively through activities such as tree planting to restore the greenery and earn some money,” he said.
The project specialist commended the programme for channelling positive and developmental mindsets and attitudes through the products entailed.
