Government Appeals for Start-up Capital to Boost Youth Skills Training

The Ugandan government has called upon development partners to complement vocational education with direct financial capital to help young entrepreneurs successfully launch their ventures.

Speaking in Kampala during the closing ceremony of a three-day entrepreneurship training workshop, State Minister for Primary Education Phyllis Chemutai emphasized that financial constraints remain the biggest hurdle for youths transitioning from training to actual enterprise development. The event was organized by the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Uganda under the Higher Education Access Programme.

Minister Chemutai noted that while many young people graduate with viable concepts, they lack the resources needed to execute them. She commended organizations providing holistic support that bridges the gap between learning and implementation, noting that empowering the youth is a strategic investment in Uganda’s socioeconomic transformation.

The workshop, themed From Ideas to Enterprise: Building Entrepreneurial Skills for Sustainable Businesses, targeted over 200 beneficiaries of Technical and Vocational Education and Training courses. Facilitated by the Uganda Rural Development and Training Institute, the program covered crucial topics including financial literacy, digital marketing, artificial intelligence in business, product branding, and resource mobilization.

To address the persistent funding gap, FAWE Uganda Board Chairperson Margaret Atim Mugeni explained that the organization encourages students to prudently save portions of the living stipends provided during their studies to build initial capital.

Minister Chemutai further advised development organizations to couple financial assistance with continuous mentorship and strict accountability to ensure project success. She challenged the beneficiaries to start small, utilize their savings wisely, and apply their acquired skills across vibrant sectors like agriculture, digital services, tailoring, and food processing.

Read the original story on the Daily Monitor.