Ministry of Technology and Science, Felix Mutati launched the National Youth Skills Empowerment Programme last week in Chongwe with a message to the youths to utilise the opportunity to acquire hands-on and entrepreneurial skills to effectively participate in the economy. The Minister added that Zambia will benchmark skills - proficiency with Germany to deliver an effective multiplier skills training of ten thousand youths across the country by 2026.

The skills empowerment programme will be implemented across the country in line with people’s economic mainstay and national priority skills. Mr. Mutati said Chongwe was a potential and unique district with various economic vibrant activities hence extending practical skills to the community. “Once trainees complete their training they will create more jobs.  He encouraged youths to provide quality and appropriate standards of finished products. Government has embarked on decentralization through collaborations with line ministries in various sectors of the economy.”

“I encourage trainees to take advantage of opportunities in mining, SMEs and agriculture around the district.” The Minister was speaking during the launch of the National Skills Youth Empowerment Program in Chongwe Constituency at the Fountain Gate Crafts & Trades.

Mr. Mutati said trainees once equipped with appropriate skills, the skills remain permanently. He said Ministry of Technology and Science will collaborate with Ministry of Youth, Sport and Art in view of its skills centers and determined to make a difference and solve youth unemployment and upscale skills development and subsequently job creation.

And Health Minister Silvia Masebo said this gesture was an answer to the promise made to electorates on youth empowerment training and decentralization today evidently walking the talk. Ms. Masebo emphasised on taking information to the grassroots about skills training. She disclosed that President Hichilema has set aside funds for youth skills empowerment and entrepreneurial activities.

MS. Masebo told the youths that other funds will be sourced from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for more youths to benefit. “Chongwe is endowed with minerals, she called on mines ministry to support local youths already exploring mining zones and empower them with mining entrepreneurship activities. I encourage trainees to excel in various skills training they are pursuing because they are representatives of Chongwe constituency and pioneers expected to successfully attain their skills bordering on mindset change for practicable community work activities.”

Meanwhile Agriculture Minister Rueben Mutolo said decentralizing power to the people is what is been witnessed as an important step tackling a huge problem through equipping necessarily skills to the youths. “I urge youths to take up agricultural skills and make submissions to the Ministry of Agriculture on appropriate training you need to effectively participate in the economy. Government is committed and has apportioned 100, 000 hectares across the country for youth empowerment.”

SMEs Minister Elias Mubanga said the launch of skills empowerment is a great milestone to produce artisans that can be employed. He said previously Zambia lacked SMEs empowerment funds hence the new dawn government has changed narratives to mindset change and acquisition of effective right skills and subsequently contributing to national development and reduce on dependence syndrome.

He said his Ministry was ready to provide support to SMEs with various skills. “Form cooperatives and apply for financial assistance to ensure you remain productive.”

Meanwhile Mines Minister Paul Kabuswe believed in a thriving economy exist ongoing live activities comparable to the flashbacks of the ZCCM period and hence the vision for the new dawn government is to implement robust skills that will be rolled out countywide in constituencies.

He told students that government can only achieve and enhance the mining sector by tapping skills from SMEs, skills training, and agriculture hence opening doors to the youths. Mr. Kabuswe emphasized on the formation of cooperatives platforms that provides for individual wealth creation distinct from white collar jobs.

Germany Ambassador Her Excellence Anne Wargner Mitchell said there was need to develop skills in order to reduce poverty. She said Germany is known for its quality skills and hence newly launched Fountain Gates Institute demonstrates such qualities. She said this is a revolution of young people to be empowered through youth skills development programme of talents - skills creating a basis for youth work.

Speaking at the event, Sports and Youth Minister (Elvis Nkandu) represented by Permanent Secretary Kangwa Chileshe said Zambia's population is youthful representing 75 percent alongside challenges hence recognition of right skills training will progress into a prosperous middle income country.

He said youth and sports 19 youth training centers are dotted in the country providing vocational education and life skills training hence the  need to collaborate.

In his speech during launch of the programme, TEVETA Director General, Cleophas Takaiza articulated that the orientation of technical and vocational education and training was towards the acquisition of employability skills, which made it well placed to address issues such as skills mismatches that usually impeded smooth school-to-work transitions for many young people.

“To support the actualisation the 2022 budget and beyond, TEVETA is presenting to you a ‘skills for youth employability and entrepreneurship programme’ whose objective is to empower motivated youths with hands-on and entrepreneurial skills for productivity, wealth creation and competitiveness.”

“It is important that government is prioritising skills training to empower and motivate youths to serve a purpose of reliability and entrepreneurship for social and economic development by taking skills closer to the community of Chongwe.”

Mr. Takaiza said TEVET has opened up opportunities regardless of individual education backgrounds to learn and acquire skills.

Mr. Takaiza added that the skills were a very important tool for empowering youths for employability as well as entrepreneurship. “The youth you see today were identified by the local leadership in Chongwe Constituency and are undergoing training in skill that not only make them employable, but will support implementation of projects here in Chongwe constituency and beyond.”

He guided that in constituencies where trades institutes are nonexistent, mobile training was a mechanism to be used to take skills to the grassroots. The programme will be rolled out in all constituencies either through CDF allocation towards skills training or financing from the TEVET Fund.

Lusaka Business and Technical College (LBTC) principal Lawrence Zulu said the Institute has extended skills training to the youths in Chongwe as an empowerment venture for their livelihoods.

The mobile training is implemented by the college using the facility for Fountain Gate Crafts and Trades, an institution constructed with funding from the German Government.

A beneficiary of the training, Lameck Kalunga who moved a vote of thanks, commended Government for the support of youth empowerment skills training.

He said after completion of training, skills will be extended within the community as evidently seen in the infrastructure growth of Chongwe.

The youth empowerment programme is in support of the actualization of the 2022 budget and beyond, through technical education, vocational and entrepreneurship training (TEVET) sector facilitated empowerment of citizens with hands-on and entrepreneurial skills for productivity and competitiveness. The priority skills in the programme include agriculture, aquaculture, construction, manufacturing, energy, tourism, and service industry