MPs draft national youth internship policy
Sep 08, 2014
MPs representing youth are drafting a policy on National youth internship program to enable fresh young graduates gain work experience and also build their confidence
By Henry Sekanjako
MPs representing youth are drafting a policy on National youth internship program to enable fresh young graduates gain work experience and also build their confidence.
The MPs under their body umbrella Uganda Parliamentary forum on Youth affairs (UPFYA) said the policy is aimed at helping graduates obtain internship placements in both private and public organizations for exposure and skills development.
“We are hoping that a national policy can be put in place so that when one graduates they can be placed somewhere because we have come to realize that most of the youth when they graduate they don’t have skills so this policy would help build their skills,” said Monica Amonding, the chairperson UPFYA.
The MPs noted that the program would support young people to be more enterprising by becoming job creators.
According to the MPs, the program would provide young people with a means to make a contribution to the development of their country and their communities.
“One of Uganda’s top challenge is youth unemployment, we hope that this initiative will help address unemployment, since the youth are equipped with skills in the process which skills are much desired for by employers,” said Gerald Karuhanga, the youth MP Western region.
The MPs pointed out that Uganda lacked a national service scheme adding that this initiative if embraced by government would help act as the national service scheme.
They said countries like Ghana, Nigeria among other African countries have schemes in which young people apply to participate whereas some are mandatory and are essentially national service schemes.
“This proposal will be given to government and it is our prayer that government takes it up because most of the youth programs by government, the youth are not consulted so since this initiative is by the youth, it will work better,” noted Karuhanga.
If adopted, the Youth MPs said the program would complement the Youth Livelihood Program in providing young people with opportunities to make the transition from education to the world of employment and adulthood.
According to UPFYA, currently some pilot programs on internship placements are underway.
These are focusing more on internship placements in the private sector as well as the public and NGO sectors.
One such initiative is run by an NGO ‘Restless Development’ with support from the International Youth Foundation. It has placed 100 interns across various sectors.
Also related to this story
Gov’t starts youth livelihood program
Youth unemployment is most pressing problem - Govt
62% of Ugandan youth jobless - report
For Uganda’s population, it’s more youth, more problems