Executive roundtable discusses strategic workforce shaping

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At least 140 of Uganda’s leading employers agree that it’s crucial to focus on the talent and leadership skills they can offer as they make strides to shape the workforce across the country.

These observations were made on Thursday at the Golden Tulip Hotel during BrighterMonday Uganda’s Executive Roundtable on Strategic Workforce Shaping held in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE), and the Human Resource Managers’ Association of Uganda (HRMAU).

The gathering marked a bold step toward future-proofing Uganda’s workforce and harnessing the country’s youthful demographic dividend.

Unlike traditional discussions on recruitment, the Roundtable emphasised transforming young talent into long-term leadership pipelines, highlighting how early career development and strategic mentorship can shape organisational resilience and competitiveness.

Uganda’s workforce is overwhelmingly young, with over 70% of the population under the age of 30. According to Xenia Wachira, Country Manager at BrighterMonday Uganda, this demographic reality offers both an opportunity and a challenge.

“Uganda’s youth could be our greatest asset, or our biggest risk if not strategically nurtured. Today, we explored ways to create career pathways that turn young talent into the leaders of tomorrow,” Wachira said.

Executives shared experiences and strategies to bridge the gap between youthful potential and workplace readiness.

Evelyn Zalwango of AmCham Uganda stressed that youth unemployment is not just about jobs, but rather preparation and exposure.

“We need to equip young people with the skills, mentorship, and real-world experience to contribute meaningfully from day one,” she noted.

The Roundtable highlighted the need for data-driven workforce planning, moving away from reactive hiring toward anticipating skill needs.

Panellists included Joanita Mukasa Menya (VIVO Energy), Henry Tumusiime (ABSA Bank), and Susan Mataka (Kakira Sugar Limited), who shared approaches to identifying skill adjacencies, building internal talent marketplaces, and creating structured career pathways that integrate knowledge transfer and succession planning.

“Early career recruitment is not just filling vacancies; it’s about future-proofing organisations by nurturing talent that can lead the company decades from now,” Natasha Katondwaki stressed.

Gen-Kazi Project Lead, Pamela Kabahesi, reminded participants that Uganda’s youth could either drive national economic growth or exacerbate challenges if not strategically engaged.

“The decisions we make today about how we recruit, train, and mentor young people will determine whether this generation becomes productive contributors or a lost opportunity,” Kabahesi said.

The Roundtable concluded with the development of a strategic roadmap that emphasises cross-functional collaboration between HR, Finance, and Operations departments. Leaders are committed to embedding workforce shaping into core business strategy rather than leaving it as an HR function alone.

BrighterMonday Uganda, FUE, and HRMAU plan to translate insights from the Roundtable into white papers, industry benchmarks, and executive toolkits, helping organisations create actionable plans to develop youth talent into tomorrow’s business leaders.

The event showcased a shared vision: Uganda’s youth are not just future employees, they are the strategic backbone of national economic growth, and equipping them today is essential to sustaining businesses and the broader economy tomorrow.