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Usakos mayor prioritises youth empowerment

Boosting opportunities
The Mayor's Youth Empowerment and Training initiative aims to provide young adults with education opportunities.
Precious Nghitaunapo
Addressing pressing issues of youth unemployment and inadequate opportunities, Usakos mayor Irene Simeon-Kurtz unveiled the Mayor's Youth Empowerment and Training Programme on 29 January.

The event served as a platform to engage and assist the youth in Usakos concerning their career paths and life journeys.

The initiative aims to provide a unique opportunity for young adults who have completed grade 10, 11 or 12. It is aimed at creating a pathway to success by offering the youth a chance to discover their interests, build essential skills and effectively address the critical issue of unemployment.

More is needed

During the session, Simeon-Kurtz highlighted the prevailing challenges faced by the youth, including unemployment and a lack of adequate opportunities.

“Despite efforts by the government and private sector, I acknowledge that opportunities remain insufficient, necessitating a focused approach towards empowering the youth through vocational training,” she said.

The multi-sector action plan, directed at addressing Usakos' chronic youth educational and unemployment challenges, was unveiled with the goal of rectifying these shortcomings.

"The days of recording names and waiting are over. Our approach is different. We engage with the students, understand their needs and take them to the institutions where they can enroll. Simultaneously, we work with vocational institutions to source funding, setting a foundation for future success in the labour market," she explained.

Action plan

The programme included visits to the Namibian Institute of Mining and Technology (NIMT) and the Anestemi College campuses. Participants were given campus tours and insight into the courses or workshops offered, ranging from carpentry and welding to office administration and hospitality.

Simeon-Kurtz expressed the programme's ambition to target at least 50 youth from Usakos, providing them with an opportunity to become employable.

The courses offered at NIMT and Anestemi College include full-time programmes, four-year courses, six-month special courses and three-month options.

The mayor stressed the importance of providing Usakos' youth with the necessary job readiness and leadership skills to compete in the labour market successfully.

She added that, most importantly, the initiative offers an alternative to crime, substance abuse and the challenges associated with unemployment.

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Namibian Sun 2024-12-07

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