The second phase of Akazi Kanoze project, launched on Tuesday, will focus on empowering young graduates from high school and vocational schools.

According to officials, the project, which is implemented by the Ministry of Education and stakeholders – Education Development Centre (EDC) and the MasterCard Foundation, targets 16,500 students from 150 schools.

The beneficiaries will be equipped with skills that will make them marketable in the labour market upon completion of their studies.

They will be trained in communication skills, customer care, work readiness, entrepreneurship mentoring, savings, group development and leadership. They will also study access to localised market analysis for business start up, internship and job placement, according to Melany Sany, chief of party Akazi Kanoze II project.

Supported by Usaid, the first phase of Akazi Kanoze mainly targeted the youth between 14 and 35 years who had dropped out of school in the last five years.

With about 45 local implementing partners, the first phase trained over 18,000 youth with more than 60 per cent of these either securing jobs or starting their own businesses.

The State Minister in charge of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Albert Nsengiyumva, said the government was engaged in empowering students in TVET because this is the best way to create the workforce that is tailored to the country’s needs.

He applauded the new initiative, saying it will add the much needed value to the graduates.

"We have seen graduates lacking communication skills to make them more marketable on the labour market; this feeds well into our government’s goal to become a middle income economy and create 200,000 off-farm jobs per year,” he said.

EDC is an international non-profit organisation that has been operating in the country since 2009, implementing youth workforce development, early grades education and early childhood development.

The MasterCard Foundation is an independent, global organisation based in Toronto, Canada, with over $9 billion in assets. Through collaboration with partner organisations in 57 countries, it aims at creating opportunities for all people to learn and prosper.

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