sun maker

According to a survey carried out by Action Aid and the Uganda National NGO Forum, the unemployment rate among young people in Uganda is 61. 6 percent in 2012 (Action Aid, 2012, p. 27). Given the fact that that more than 50 % of the population is below 18, the amount of unemployed people in Uganda is enormous. This can and will most likely have destabilising and disturbing effects on the economy as well as the society at large of the country in the foreseeable future, General poverty, an outdated education system and corruption are only some of the reasons that are often mentioned in connection with youth unemployment in Africa, and more specifically in Uganda. To bridge the Skill mismatch between the education system and employers’ expectations SUNMAKER proposes a Comprehensive skills training for the youths so as to align them with the existing and future employment opportunities. 

Structural unemployment emanating from a far too theoretical Ugandan school system preparing  students in an adequate way to find a job after graduation as they lack employable skills, even though the job falls into their field of studies. As Getinet Haile observed in his research, a lot of the unemployed youth in urban areas went through the best education system that a country like Uganda can provide (Haile, 2003, p. 7), which is a sign that the education and skills provided at school is not relevant enough for employers. According to National Planning Authority (NPA) statistics 700,000 people join the job market every year regardless of qualification but only 90,000 get something to do. This translates to 87 per cent of people ready to work but can’t find a job. The Sun maker comprehensive skills program will bridge the available skills mismatch through equipping youths with hands on skills in manufacturing, ICT and digital skills , oil and gas and construction

The comprehensive skills program addresses the skills deficiency gap through equipping the trainees with hands on skills, providing mentorship regarding entrepreneurship and management skills, after training the trainees shall be placed in established companies for further industrial apprenticeship in addition to providing them with startup kits as they complete training. 

Those victimised by structural unemployment especially the graduates in urban informal settings. Comprehensive skills training shall expose them to the on demand skill sets required by employers. These are highly stigmatised, physiologically tortured silent victims of unemployment; at one time society had hope in them and invested in their education hoping to experience transformation through them only to be paid back by failure to get a job