BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE– The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has welcomed the second cohort of graduate trainees under the Eswatini Youth Empowerment Programme.
They are currently undergoing an induction programme ahead of placement next week.
UNDP Eswatini Resident Representative, David Omozuafoh, encouraged the youth to take advantage of the opportunity not only for the advancement of their careers but also for the development of the country and the African continent.
“In our quest to leave no one behind, we continue to encourage partnerships with companies to support the EYEP by signing up to host graduates and providing financial resources to pay stipends,”
“We would also like to encourage organisations to ensure that they give an opportunity to graduates from communities that are left behind, such as Persons with Disabilities, women and youth from remote rural backgrounds,” he said.
The EYEP is a government-endorsed Programme which aims to support young graduates to secure a foot in the door, as most employers require some work experience.
Through this Programme, young graduates from local and external tertiary institutions will get the opportunity to gain at least 12 months of work experience, thus improving their employability prospects.
The project targets youth from all regions with at least a Diploma from a recognized and accredited institution. The deadline for applications is the 31st of March 2023, which means there is still time for graduates to apply for the programme.
The representative further mentioned that Small businesses a majority of the graduates, at 60 percent, hold Bachelor’s Degrees, while the rest have Diplomas, Associate Degrees, and Honours Degrees.
The graduates will be placed with various organisations for a renewable period of six months. The graduates were matched with 30 organisations, including Eswatini Bank, Eswatini Sugar Association, Eswatini Standards Authority, Eswatini Environment Authority, Parliament of the Kingdom of Eswatini, and the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, to mention a few.
