YOUTH MENTORSHIP : A NECESSITY IN UGANDA

 Over 70% of Ugandans are below the age of 30 years. The youths face a series of challenges with the most significant being access to dignified employment opportunities. Uganda has over 30 universities and they produce over 300,000 graduates per year yet the job creation rate is about 70,000 jobs . This is a total mismatch yet the demands on the youths continue to rise. Some of the crimes that are emerging in society are attributed to a rise in youth unemployment. Uganda's youths can turn into a blessing if they are mentored into agents of positive transformation. If the youths are left in "survival mode" as a country we are in trouble. The other day I saw a group of youths on media wanting to beat up staff of a sports betting company because they were not paid for their return on investment. If the youths are now putting their faith in betting as a means of survival then something is grossly wrong. 

Today we have university students whose sole aim is to pass exams with the belief that they will get a ready made job. Having been in the corporate space for sometime it is evident that there needs to be a paradigm shift among the youths. The already made jobs are no longer existing. We should train the graduates to become creative and use the skills acquired to start their own jobs. Today we have youths who undermine acquiring vocational skills as befitting ". academic failures". The government has also realized that the education system was heading in the wrong direction and it has opted for competency based education system. With the emergency of Artificial Intelligence the competition for jobs is becoming more intense . There was an article in the news papers which warned that some students at university are using AI to plagiarize content. It should be noted that Artificial Intelligence should not replace critical thinking that is a necessity in today's workplace. University vice chancellors have complained that today's graduates lack soft skills yet they are very critical in today's competitive workplace.

HOW TO EMPOWER THE YOUTHS TO BECOME COMPETITIVE 

1.Youth mentorship is very vital

2.Proper parenting of children

3.Organizing mindset change seminars 

4.Condcting financial literacy trainings

5.Organizing exposure visits for the youths

6.Community service programs

7.Popularizing vocational education

8. Enabling university students to embrace internship training

9.Establishing community libraries

10 .Religious and cultural institutions have a great role to play

11.Recognizing youth champions

12.Leadership trainings for young people.


By and large Uganda's youths can turn into a blessing if well nurtured. The social ills that we are facing today can be addressed if intentional mentorship programs are organized. The future of this country is in the hands of young people who form the majority of the population(over 70%). However it is very dangerous to leave them to operate without guidance.


Phillip Kiryowa

Finance and Leadership Coach

+256752615916

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