Stefanus Nashama
Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, has revealed that the Government spends close to N$200 million per annum to fund internship training in the public service through the National Internship Programme Policy.
“Government has created positions in the public service where young people especially graduates are deployed to gain more experience, expertise skills and knowledge under the programme that prepares them for the labour market, she said.
The premier was speaking at the Pan-Afrikan Renaissance, the second Young Afrikans Leadership Summit, held in Windhoek on Friday.
“At the last Cabinet meeting, we looked at how we can financially incentivise employers to take on board young people for internships,” she noted.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila explained that this initiative came after the Government adopted the National Internship Programme Policy which aims at reducing the number of unemployed graduates in the country.
“All the important policies in the government are crafted by graduates who are young people,” she said.
To this, the Prime Minister said the Government continues to prioritise internship opportunities in public service for young people to gain more skills in different areas.
At the same time, she also called on the private sector to come on board and support the Government’s efforts in developing the National Internship Programme Policy.
“We are calling upon the private sector to support our efforts towards the programme, as they did with the funding of the constituency youth enterprise,” she reiterated.
While adding that it is not easy for young people to enter into labour market, therefore, the support of the private sector and Government can render more required services for young people’s economic development.
“This is the only way to economic emancipation for young people in Africa,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said.
She announced that the government has established youth enterprises and also set up a funding scheme at the Development Bank of Namibia and has served a portion of direct tender to youth development.
“Artisan graduates are supported to renovate and upgrade government buildings and facilities through direct tenders without bidding,” she revealed. She stated the National Youth Policy is a guide for youth development programmes in the country.
According to her, the National Youth Programme includes the Ministry of Sports, Youth and National Service, National Youth Council and National Youth Services aim to support economic growth for young people.
“The Government of Namibia has been prioritising the leadership of youth development in many areas of development and established gender equality and youth empowerment both in the government and public sector.
“Before Europeans came to Africa, we were just one people, we did not have to apply for a visa. If our development had not been interrupted by colonialism, imagine where we could be today. We should move towards building our economy,” she stressed.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila urged Africans to stop discriminating against one another and stop their solo mentality. “Working together without discriminating against other Africans is the way forward to the development of the African economy,” she motivated.
