Utilizing the strengths of women and young people offers tremendous potential for substantial and long-lasting economic change in Uganda. There are currently roughly 10.5 million Ugandans between the ages of 15 and 29, and by 2030, that number is anticipated to increase to 13 million. However, a large number of young people are involved in low-skill, low-earning, low-productivity, and low-value-added activities. As per Emmanuel Katto, Uganda’s local journalist, this is especially true in the agricultural sector, where 72% of young people work in "traditional" agriculture. Therefore, we must provide young people and women the skills they need to advance in agriculture's value chain as well as to work in other economic areas.
This transition will be significantly aided by strategic skills development policies and programs. Emmanuel Katto also known as Emka Uganda, says aa versatile skill set that incorporates cross-cutting talents like communication and problem-solving abilities, as well as knowledge of how to use one's own initiative and technology, is a crucial component of skills training. This strategy guarantees that employees have the knowledge and abilities necessary to adapt to the rapidly shifting needs of the labor market as well as the skills necessary to allow economic change.
To develop new talents, upgrade existing ones, and eventually find gainful work, basic education must be of higher quality. However, many Ugandan youngsters do not finish their basic schooling. As per Emka, Uganda has one of the lowest percentages of primary cycle survival despite having universal primary (elementary) attendance. The poor overall transition rates between primary and secondary school, notably between Primary 5 and Primary 7, are related to high dropout rates, particularly between Primary 5 and Primary 7.
The advantages of learning skills later in life are diminished by this. Functional literacy, numeracy, and, in the society, we live in today, digital literacy are all fundamental building blocks for the development of other abilities says Emmanuel Katto of Uganda.
The Uganda Skills Development Project, funded by the World Bank, is increasing possibilities for the development of enterprise- and market-driven skills, especially those for the unorganized sector.
The official and informal sectors have benefited from industry- and enterprise-based training to the tune of more than 82,000 adolescents, 47% of whom are female. In addition to promising the potential to scale-up similar training programs, Emka Uganda explains these especially to those that target vulnerable youth, women, and micro- and small enterprises for the upskilling and retooling of workers in important economic sectors, the impact study for this intervention demonstrates the good transition of over 60% of graduates into employment.
Agro-processing, manufacturing, construction, transport and logistics, ICT, and hospitality are a few examples of the trades and vocations associated with these key sectors that have benefited from the project's assistance for the implementation of new standards in the training curricula. These occupational standards guarantee that the abilities offered are compatible with what employers are looking for.
However, we must make large-scale, impactful investments in skill development if we are to truly effect lasting change. Employers in both the official and informal sectors of Uganda claim that the absence of hard skills—such as management, communication, and socioemotional—as well as soft skills—such as entrepreneurial, digital, and practical—are impeding productivity growth. The workforce in Uganda must be prepared for the expansion of green and digital economies, which are providing new chances for skill-building. Most significantly, increasing Uganda's human capital is essential to generating a more inclusive growth that hastens the decrease of poverty, asserts Emmanuel Katto. This is especially true for women like Evelyn, who completed her elementary schooling but not her secondary (high) education.
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