Govt intensifies programmes tarrgeting youths, gets corporate support

Government says it has currently enrolled 5,920 youths in its youth training centres across all 10 provinces of Zambia to assist them with entrepreneurial skills.

This is after it said it had empowered 854 graduates last year with start-up kits at total cost of K3.5 million from the youth resource centres that held their graduation ceremonies.

The claims were made by Youth, Sport and Arts Minister, Elvis Nkandu, in Lusaka on Wednesday when he received a K1 million cheque from Zanaco meant to support youth empowerment programmes countrywide being undertaken by government.

“Governments desire is that the trained youths walkout of the resource centres equipped with suitable equipment to enable them set up enterprises and become self-employed,” he said.

Nkandu however, said due to competing demands and limited resources, only a selected few best performing graduates end up benefiting.

“We therefore, call for stakeholders to come on board and join hands with my Ministry in insuring that all students graduating from youth resource centres receive equipment.

“This will enable our youths set up own businesses and contribute to employment creation as opposed to waiting to be employed as been the case,” Nkandu said.

Read more: Govt prioritizing youth employment, skills acquisition, healthcare for rapid economic development —Phiri

In handing over the cheque, Zanaco Chief Executive Officer, Mukwandi Chibesakunda, said the funds were meant to assist with the buying of tools for the graduates under the countrywide youth empowerment programmes being undertaken by the Ministry.

Chibesakunda said these tools included brick making machines and sewing machines, among others.

She said this in a speech read for her by Head Client Solutions, Marketing and corporate communications, Chanda Katongo.

“Zanaco believes that the youths were the future and as such, needed to be supported through various interventions such as free education, access to land, business opportunities, meaningful employment and participation in governance.

“You may recall that Zanaco made a commitment to support the youth empowerment programme earlier in the year. It is for this reason that we have come to support government in solutioning for the youths through the handover of a cheque worth k1 million,” Chibesakunda said.

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