EU opens Youth Entrepreneurship Facility

Aug 22, 2014

The European Union, in a move to tackle unemployment in Uganda, has opened up the Youth Entrepreneurship Facility which they hope will change dynamics

By Aisha Naiga & Carol Kasujja

The European Union, in a move to tackle unemployment in Uganda, has opened up the Youth Entrepreneurship Facility which they hope will change dynamics.

The facility that targets youth between 15-35 years will be implemented in 10 selected districts in a drive that is jointly facilitated by European Union and International Labour Organization (ILO).

“The vision of the facility is to help youth turn their energy and ideas into business opportunities, to increase their income and creating employment because Youth is the most creative period in a person’s life that creativity must be mobilized,” said Kristian Schmidt, the European Union Ambassador to Uganda.

Kristian noted that Uganda lacks entrepreneurs because the quality and content of the education that is currently provided in schools is undermining the entrepreneur’s spirit of Ugandan students. Therefore there is a need for greater emphasis on vocational training and basic business studies.

Speaking Thursday at the launch which was held at Lugogo main hall, Mwesigwa Rukutana, the Minister of State for Labor also pledged Government support to the initiative.

“As Government, our commitment to fighting unemployment, under employment and poverty is total. We have total commitment and shall continue to do everything possible to ensure that the private-public partnership principle and the private sector led growth strategy delivers this country to a middle income economy,” Mwesigwa said.

He noted that Uganda will be able to fight unemployment by changing the mindset of both parents and youth about technical skills development because that’s where the future lies.

“We need to create a formidable entrepreneurial class of young people through the youth Livelihood programme, youth venture capital fund, programme for modernisation of agriculture, investment in microfinance and other financial institutions in order to ease young people’s access to capital,” he said.

Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere, the Minister for general duties in the Office of the Prime Minister said that the youth in Uganda are making miracles through innovations.

 

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