Standard Chartered Bank Uganda in partnership with Challenges Uganda have launched a six month youth employability program dubbed ‘Youth to Work’ under the bank’s Futuremakers initiative. The program is targeting university graduates between the ages of 21 to 30, and 21 to 35 for PwDs interested in business.
Standard Chartered is investing UGX300 million to fund this pilot program that will see 40 graduates benefit from it.
The objective of the Youth to Work program is to position and equip youth with skills and opportunities to create economic and employment changes across the economy for sustainable and measurable impact. The whole aim being to tackle the problem of youth unemployment in Uganda.
“In Uganda, about 65% of the country’s unemployed population are aged between 18 and 30. Therefore the Youth to Work pilot is about building a business ecosystem where SMEs and the youth can thrive, and where innovation and prosperity can grow,” Neil Fleming; Challenges Group Director, said during the launch.
Standard Chartered Bank Uganda; Albert Saltson — seconded Fleming’s remark, saying that the program is here to solve one of Uganda’s most pressing social issue affecting the youth, which is unemployment.
“We’re launching this program today in partnership with Challenges Uganda to tackle inequality and increase economic inclusion for youth who are out of work or live in low-income poverty,” said Saltson.
To emphasize, the Youth to Work is a pilot program under Standard Chartered’s Futuremakers initiative. The initiative aims to empower the next generation to learn, earn and grow through programme focused on education, employability and entrepreneurship.
On the technical aspects of the program, as we mentioned, only 40 youths will benefit from this pilot program.
Ms. Vivian Achan; Challenges Uganda business development manager, clarified this. She added that the 40 selected will be provided with key management consultancy training, and each will be positioned in SME that would have registered with them to receive these graduate interns.
SMEs can register with Challenges Uganda to be part of the program and only 40 will be selected to hold the 40 youths.
Some of the benefits these SMEs will get from the program as highlighted by Vivian include;
- Receive on-site business development and investment readiness support.
- They will be supported to grow their peer-networks and strengthening their ecosystem.
- Their staff will be enhanced through training as they will receive access to senior mentor both from Uganda and the U.K. to provide expert input into their businesses.
- Will receive support to their business leaders to enable them identify barriers and strengths to growing their companies and help them maintain momentum and motivation to improve.
FOLLOW LINK (Youth to Work) to apply for the program.
