Africa-Press – Namibia. TEKLA NAKALE
IN an effort to tackle youth unemployment in Namibia, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security is collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help unemployed graduates prepare for the job market.
• TEKLA NAKALE
IN an effort to tackle youth unemployment in Namibia, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security is collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to help unemployed graduates prepare for the job market.
Ten unemployed graduates from Namibian universities were awarded certificates last week after they completed internship programmes to provide them with skills in different fields.
Ndahambelela Shimwandi (24), one of the graduates, said the internship was an eye-opener for her as it exposed her to not only various experiences in her field, but also boosted her confidence despite the country’s high unemployment rate.
She said there was inclusivity and transparency throughout the programme.
It was an empowering experience which brought positivity and hope for greater things, she said.
The office administration graduate from the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre said students went through a vigorous three-month training programme at the ministry, and their last stop was at the UNDP offices where they were trained on career-development skills, portfolio building, and taking ownership of their career growth.
“I learned how to create a career portfolio, and how to go through psychometric testing and interviews. The people were kind and invested in how I am going to approach the job industry,” Shimwandi said.
Another graduate intern, Sam Soini (23), said the programme taught him to be more inclusive.
He said he is now more positive about finding employment.
The programme was designed after realising existing internship programmes do not benefit graduates sufficiently.
The UNDP’s head of experimentation for the Accelerator Lab in Namibia, Yrika Maritz, said most internships do not consider how students would find employment, and there is a gap between internships and proper career paths.
“We therefore want to close that gap,” she said.
“We are interested in what happens after the students’ internship programme. We want to know whether students know where they are going and how they are going to get jobs.
“We also want to inspire and support our interns to work at international organisations.”
According to ministry spokesperson Margaret Kalo, the project will be ongoing, and the ministry will continue to support students and address issues of unemployment.
Students who want to be part of this programme should contact her for more information.
Ten unemployed graduates from Namibian universities were awarded certificates last week after they completed internship programmes to provide them with skills in different fields.
Ndahambelela Shimwandi (24), one of the graduates, said the internship was an eye-opener for her as it exposed her to not only various experiences in her field, but also boosted her confidence despite the country’s high unemployment rate.
She said there was inclusivity and transparency throughout the programme.
It was an empowering experience which brought positivity and hope for greater things, she said.
The office administration graduate from the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre said students went through a vigorous three-month training programme at the ministry, and their last stop was at the UNDP offices where they were trained on career-development skills, portfolio building, and taking ownership of their career growth.
“I learned how to create a career portfolio, and how to go through psychometric testing and interviews. The people were kind and invested in how I am going to approach the job industry,” Shimwandi said.
Another graduate intern, Sam Soini (23), said the programme taught him to be more inclusive.
He said he is now more positive about finding employment.
The programme was designed after realising existing internship programmes do not benefit graduates sufficiently.
The UNDP’s head of experimentation for the Accelerator Lab in Namibia, Yrika Maritz, said most internships do not consider how students would find employment, and there is a gap between internships and proper career paths.
“We therefore want to close that gap,” she said.
“We are interested in what happens after the students’ internship programme. We want to know whether students know where they are going and how they are going to get jobs.
“We also want to inspire and support our interns to work at international organisations.”
According to ministry spokesperson Margaret Kalo, the project will be ongoing, and the ministry will continue to support students and address issues of unemployment.
Students who want to be part of this programme should contact her for more information.
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