The Ministry of Youth, Sport and Art has written to all Government Ministries requesting them to provide the number of positions that need to be filled by youths on internship basis
Minister of Youth ,Sport and Art Elvis Nkandu noted that this is against the backdrop of the National Youth Development Programme which seeks to provide internship opportunities for 2,000 youths .
Mr NKandu added that the program which is being done in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme – UNDP is expected to commence this month.
The Minister mentioned that the programme is meant to provide young graduates an opportunity to gain practical work experience.
Meanwhile, speaking in a separate interview, Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Joel Kamoko has commended the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Art on the implementation of the internship program.
Mr Kamoko said that the Ministry of Education will utilize the Public Private Partnership – PPP model to create internship opportunities for young people.
“Higher learning institutions need to work closely with the Government in order to connect youths to such programmes,” Mr Kamoko said
On 7th December, 2022, the New Dawn Government through the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Art officially launched the GRZ Programme phase one of the Youth Projects in partnership with the United Nations Country Team.
The GRZ Programme seeks to recruit interns/graduates, apprentices, and volunteers across the country with an initial target of 2,000 youths.
The launch of GRZ Programme phase one of the Youth Projects is a fundamental step to addressing youth challenges as it hinges much on uplifting the livelihoods of our young people.
The Programme will also supplement the government’s efforts in spearheading Programmes that are responsive to the emerging needs of the Youth for them to effectively contribute to our country’s economic development.
“As you may be aware, Zambian Youths who constitute a majority of our country’s population are faced with several challenges such as high unemployment rates, these Youth initiatives are meant to uplift the welfare of our young people,” Minister of Youth Elvis Nkandu said
In government’s efforts to provide solutions to critical challenges such as this one, the New Dawn Government under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema through our Ministry has been working through an integrated multi-sectoral approach that involves key stakeholders such as Government line Ministries, Youth Organizations, and United Nations Country Team has developed various youth projects.
The New Dawn Government through the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Art will immediately kick start the implementation of the following projects in phases until 2026 and beyond.
This Programme is not new to the Ministry, however, the New Dawn Government has decided to revamp the Programme with a focus on identifying the specific needs and specialization that various institutions will require.
In addition, the programme has been broadened with the inclusion of Youth Volunteers to ensure that it is inclusive.
The Programme will target Youth who are school leavers including those who may not have been to school, Graduates from Colleges, Skills Training Centers, and Universities.
The overall objective of the programme is to enhance the employability of young Zambians and amplify the impact of their work. The programme will also allow the youth to acquire the much-needed skills and experience that institutions look for when employing.nUnder phase one, the Ministry will work in close proximity with line Ministries and all key stakeholders.
The first phase of the project which is a pilot is envisioned to run for 12 months with an initial target of 2,000 youths who will be placed in Public, Private, and Civil Society Organizations in various sectors of the economy prioritizing key social-economic and labor-intensive sectors such as Health, Education, Technology, Social Protection, Energy, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Construction, and Mining.
Source: .lusakatimes
