Introduction to the project

Youth who aspire an entrepreneurial future benefit from quality education to develop their entrepreneurial skills, a good network, and on-the-job learning opportunities to bring knowledge and skills into practice. CINOP works together with Cordaid, ADRAA Agricultural College, Amelo Training Institute, Arua Training Institute, Moyo Training Institute, and Koboko Training Institute in order to prepare vulnerable youth for starting their own business. In the ‘IVEEPA’ project, access to formal vocational training centres for vulnerable youth and refugees is key. We aim to contribute to youth employment among youth living in the West Nile region in Uganda.

Challenge

This project aims to strengthen the role of vocational training institutes in the West Nile region within key agricultural value chains. This strengthening occurs through increasing the availability and quality of agricultural entrepreneurship training leading to an increase of practical agricultural knowledge and increased entrepreneurship success in the communities.

Our solution/approach

We aim to do so by:

• Developing practical and contextualized and intensive short course on entrepreneurship in agriculture
• Taking away barriers vulnerable youth, women and refugees experience in accessing and performing in formal vocational education programs
• Developing strong linkages between training institutes and private sector actors, financial institutes, and business mentors to link starting agricultural entrepreneurs to markets, capital and support networks

Impact

Focus on Agriculture

Uganda has a fast-growing population partly due to the presence of the world’s third largest refugee population resulting in high percentages of people with food insecurities and undernourishment. Even though many households in the West Nile region are involved in agricultural activities, low productivity is still prevalent. TVET institutes can truly play a change-maker role for young people and provide them with the skills and networks they need in order to start their own business in agriculture and contribute to food security within their communities.

Focus on youth from Ugandan and refugee communities

Uganda governmental policies aim to move away from humanitarian support for refugees to including refugee youth in the educational system. Through this project, we particularly aim to take away the barriers of vulnerable Ugandan youth, women and refugees that currently prevents them in accessing education. The agricultural entrepreneurship course will aim to:

• Be inclusive for all youth in the West Nile region;
• Assist teachers in dealing with a diversity of students and trauma in the classroom;
• Guide students in their shift from education to (self-)employment
• Contribute to a growing number of start-ups in the agricultural sector in the region

More information

We always like to tell more about this vocational education project. We welcome your ideas and information that is relevant for this project.