The Zambia Entrepreneurship Hub for Entrepreneurs and Skills Training – ZEHEST has called on government to form clear entrepreneurship and empowerment policies that will stimulate growth and directly help citizens have dignified and meaningful lives.
Speaking during an entrepreneurship empowerment symposium held in Lusaka on August 28, 2019, ZEHEST Executive Director Clarence Muziamba said there is need to expedite the construction of skills training centers across the country to enable youth’s access and acquire life survival skills adding that promotion and training is key to National Economic Growth.
“Government talks about leaving no one behind but we have seen that many youths have been left out as mare spectators in developmental matters and that must change for the better. We must also invest in research and development, we have to put up more manufacturing and processing plants locally in each province so that we stop exporting jobs,” he said.
Has noted that youth unemployment and poverty are the major challenges affecting the country hence the need to create an enabling environment for job creation and skills development and ensure youths are trained in various life survival skills.
“Today it is difficult to find a job or get employed in our country no matter how good or best your qualifications might be, hence leaving many youths languishing aimlessly in the compounds depending on government to employ them, so majority of people in our country work in the informal sector and only a few work in the formal sector,” he said.
Muziamba said in order to grow the country’s Gross Domestic Product – GDP, issues such as youth unemployment need to be addressed stating that Zambia has over 60% of youths which should be a privilege for them to take part in the country’s development as they are the future leaders of tomorrow.
He has further requested government to fund entrepreneurship skills that have been set up for skill development to ensure many Zambians get necessary entrepreneurship skills so that they become self-reliant and contribute to the country’s GDP.
