Let's focus on youth skills
Did you know that it is estimated that 600 million jobs would have to be created over the next 15 years to meet youth employment needs?
The youth population will grow by more than 78 million between 2021 and 2030. Low income countries will account for nearly half of that increase. Education and training systems need to respond to this challenge.
We recognise this and strive to be at the forefront of the education shift with our programmes that focus on essential life and business skills. When young people have the opportunity to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and grow their confidence and capability, they can achieve anything.
Creating new entrepreneurs
The Bakozi Youth Group is a community group from Mityana district, Uganda. Located over 70km from the capital city, Kampala, Mityana is known for its agricultural activities. With a population of over 300, 000 people, skyrocketing unemployment rates and high levels of poverty, the area greatly suffers from lack of skills education and a lack of decent living conditions.
The Bakozi Youth Group started with 10 members, both male and female between 15 and 30 years old but has since grown to 33 due to the increasing number of students and young people out of school that live in the area.
Over two years, Teach A Man To Fish supported over 150 young farmer groups to take part in our Youth Enterprise Challenge program in this area, enabling these youth to learn necessary entrepreneurial skills and soft skills that empowered them to then plan, set up and run their own income generating businesses. Through attending the various lessons, the group was able to improve their knowledge in modern farming and vocational skills. After carefully considering all of their new skills and ideas, the group decided to start a cake-making business. The members of the group sell their cakes for just $0.28, but also diversify and respond to customer needs by producing higher quality, and more expensive products, based on customer demand. The business earns the group around $50 each week with a profit of $12, which collectively they have agreed to reinvest into their business and expand into party rentals as well as producing and selling cakes.
The opportunities and skills that the men and women have experienced through Youth Enterprise Challenge means their future now looks very different, with many choosing to set up their own business, using their new found confidence and knowledge.
A new way forward
With new global challenges pressing this post-Covid world today such as global warming and accelerated inequalities, we must find new ways to learn.
As UNESCO states, there must also be emphasis on skills for employment and entrepreneurship just like the Bakozi Youth Groupi gained through our programme.
