Skilling for Entrepreneurship and Dignified Employment in Mid-Western Uganda
Status
active
Period
2020 - 2025
In Partnership With
The URDT-I is a vocational training institution aiming to create a critical mass of all-round male and female young entrepreneurs who have integrity and the capacity to improve their economic situation. In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the URDT-I is implementing a skilling program to enable young people to create jobs or access dignified and fulfilling work. URDT-I adopted a satellite model of skilling young people where artisans are given the opportunity to provide hands-on training experience to young people through a mentorship/apprenticeship program, which has a positive impact on mindset, business survival, growth, and performance.
Target Impact
70,000 young women and young men, of whom 70% are females are sustainably economically empowered and productive for fulfilling lives.
Target: 70,000 Youth in Work
Geographical location: 20 districts – Kagadi, Masindi, Kiboga, Kyenjojo, Kyegegwa, Mubende, Mityana, Kasanda,Kibaale,Kakumiro,Kikuube, Hoima, Buliisa, Kiryandongo,Kyankwanzi, Kabarole, Kamwenge, Bundibugyo, Kasese, and Ntoroko.
Objectives:
Equip 70,000 young women and men with market-relevant employable and entrepreneurship skills
Support 56,000 young people (80% of the trainees) to establish viable and competitive enterprises
Link 14,000 young people (20% of the trainees) to formal work opportunities
Strengthen the capacity of local artisans to sustainably deliver market relevant vocational skills
Impact to Date
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41,500
Young people have received vocational skilling in tourism, construction, and agriculture enterprises.
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22,000
Young people have accessed job opportunities (12, 230 are female).
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25,000
Young women have received vocational skilling in tourism, construction, and agriculture enterprises.
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540
Artisans and agribusiness practitioners have been onboarded and upskilled to provide vocational skilling to young people in tourism, construction, and agriculture enterprises.
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Artisan model
The program has successfully piloted the artisan model enabling young people to transition to wage and self-employment. The artisan model allows young people to acquire practical hands-on skills from experienced artisans withing communities leveraging their expertise and resources.
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Women
Young women have ventured into sectors such as electric supply and installation, motorcycle repair that are previously dominated by males influencing mindset shift among women.
Partnership Focus
Mobilize and enroll young people for skilling with market- relevant vocational, employable and entrepreneurship skills through artisans and agribusiness practitioners.
Coordinate Directorate of Industrial Training assessment and certification for young people who have completed training as well as Artisans and Agribusiness Practitioners who were hitherto not certified.
Support young people to establish viable and competitive enterprises through linkages to financial institutions to access capital for enterprise start-up and growth.
Development of a database of potential employers and linking young people to work opportunities through formal or informal employment.