IDRC·CRDI

Canada

Policy

Briefing

288

December2023

Uganda:TheFutureofWorkforYouth

FARIDAHNAKANWAGI

Recommendations

·TheMinistryofAgriculture,AnimalIndustryandFisheries,incollaborationwiththeMinistryofFinance,shouldadvocatebudgetincrementsintheagriculturalsectortofacilitateextensionservicestofarmers,increasedproductionandhigherhouseholdincomes.

·TheInspectorateofGovernmentshouldensurethattransparencyandanti-corruptionis

practisedinalllevelsofgovernment,byinvestigatingandprosecutingcorruptioncases,abuse

·ofofficeandotherformsofmaladministration.

TheMinistryofEducationandSports,incollaborationwithotherministriesandstakeholders,shouldreformtheeducationcurriculumtoreflecttheneedsofthe21st-centuryworkforce.

Thisshouldsupportcriticalthinkingandproblemsolving,offeringmorevocationaland

technicaltrainingbyworkingwithbusinessestodevelopappropriatetrainingprogrammes.

AfricanperspectivesGlobalinsights

Executivesummary

Thispolicybriefingpresentsthefindingsandrecommendationsofthe'YouthandSocialJusticeFutures:IdentifyingFutureSkillsandTraininginAfrica'project,aparticipatory

actionresearchprojectthatengagedUgandanyouthandotherstakeholdersinexploringalternativefuturesandaddressingthechallengeofunemployment.Theprojectusedtwoinnovativeframeworks:YouthFuturesLiteracyLabsandtheThreeHorizonsFramework.FuturesLiteracyLabsenableparticipantstoarticulatetheirassumptionsaboutthe

futureandexaminetheiranticipatorysystemsandknowledgecreationprocesses.The

ThreeHorizonsFrameworkhelpsparticipantstoidentifypatternsofthinkingaboutthefutureandhowtheyinfluenceeachotherovertime.Thisbriefingoutlinesthepolicy

recommendationsthatemergedfromtheproject.Theseare:promotingtransparency

andanti-corruptionbystrengtheninglawsandagenciesthatcombatcorruption;

modernisingagriculturebyinvestingininfrastructureandmechanisationinagribusinessandrelatedsectors;reformingtheeducationsystembyaligningitwiththeneedsofthelabourmarket;andprovidingopportunitiesforlifelonglearningandskillsdevelopment.Theserecommendationsaimtoempoweryouthandequipthemwiththe21-century

skillsthatareessentialfortheworkforce.ThisbriefingurgespolicymakerstoconsidertheserecommendationsandengagewithyouthandotherstakeholdersincreatingamoreprosperousfutureforUganda.

Introduction

Accordingtoonestudy,theyouthunemploymentrate18-30yearsinUgandaincreasedfrom12.7%in2012/3to13.3%in2016/17!Thisishigherthantheoverall

nationalunemploymentrate,whichdroppedfrom11.1%in2012/3to9.2%in2016/17.2

ThetotalUgandanlabourforcewas18197126peoplein2023,withmaleandfemale

unemploymentratesat13.5%and20.4%respectively3InUganda,youngpeoplewith

somelevelofeducationaremorelikelytobeunemployed,sincethereisabiastowards

wage-payingjobsintheformalsector,whicharehardertofindthanjobsthatdonothaveeducationalrequirements.4

Maritalstatussignificantlyinfluencesemploymentprospects,withmarriageoften

propellingmentowardcareeradvancementandhigh-skilledpositions,whereasit

tendstohinderwomen'scareertrajectories.Researchindicatesthatunmarriedpeople,

AbelEgessa,JohnBoscoNnyanziandJamesMuwanga,"DeterminantsofYouthUnemploymentinUganda:TheRoleofGender,Education,Residence,andAge",IZAJournalofLaborPolicyll,no.1(2021).

2MadinaMGulobaetal,"EmploymentCreationPotential,LaborSkillsRequirementsandSkillGapsforYoungPeople"(WorkingPaper37,EconomicPolicyResearchCentreandBrookingsInstitute,WashingtonDC,2021).

3UgandaBureauofStatistics,TheNationalLabourForceSurvey2021:MainReport(Kampala:UgandaBureauofStatistics,2021).

4GemmaAhaibweandSwaibuMbowa,"YouthUnemploymentChallengeinUgandaandtheRoleofEmploymentPoliciesinJobsCreation”,AfricainFocus(August26,2014).

2PolicyBriefing288|UGANDA:THEFUTUREOFWORKFORYOUTH

particularlyyoungpeople,aremorelikelytosecureemploymentthantheirmarried

counterparts.Aswomenage,theiremploymentopportunitiesdiminish.Notably,the

disparityinmanagementrolesfavourssingleindividualsovermarriedonesin90%of

countriesstudied.Inprofessionaloccupations,thistrendisobservedin82%ofcountries.Ontheotherhand,singleindividualsdominateinelementaryoccupationscomparedtotheirmarriedcounterpartsin39%ofcountries.Keylabourstatisticsbymaritalstatusshowhowfamilylifeshapesindividuals'positions,underscoringthepersistentgenderedeffectsofmarriedlifeoneconomicandcareerchoices.Althoughsingleindividualsfaceahigherriskofunemploymentthantheirmarriedcounterparts,thisdiscrepancyappearslinkedtomarriedindividualsexperiencingotherformsoflabourunderutilisation.5IntheUgandaNationalHouseholdSurvey2016/17bytheUgandaNationalBureauofStatisticscase

ofUganda,theproportionofyouthunemploymentvariesbymaritalstatus.Thereportobservedthatdivorcedyouth(32.37%)aremostlikelyunemployed,followedbymarriedones(16.13%)andthenthesingleyouth(7.99%).

About165000UgandanscurrentlyworkintheMiddleEast,6withsomeinsearchof

greenerpasturesthroughwhatthelabourmovementtermslabourexpropriation.ManyoftheseUgandanyouthsintheMiddleEast-mostlyyoungwomen-facephysicalandsexualabusefromtheiremployers.?

TheUgandangovernmenthasadoptedvariouspoliciesandinitiativestoaddressthe

issueofyouthunemployment.AmongthemostimportantistheNationalYouthPolicy(NYP),adoptedin2001.TheNYPfocusesonagricultureandassociatedindustries,asit

isthemainlivelihoodsourceforUgandansandcontributesmorethan20%ofthegrossdomesticproduct.8Outofanationalpopulationofapproximately41millionpeople,83.2%liveinruralareas.9Small-scaleagricultureisamajorsourceofemployment,0andseveralanalystsagreethatcommercialfoodcropshavethepotentialtogenerateeconomic

opportunities

ThePresidentialInitiativeforSkillingtheBoyandGirlChild,ParishDevelopment

Model,YouthLivelihoodProgrammeandtheconsequentYouthLivelihoodFundaregovernmentprogrammesestablishedundertheNYP.Theyaredesignedtosupportyoungpeopletofindemploymentbyextendinggrantsandotherformsofsupporttosmallgroupsofyoungentrepreneurs,helpingthemstartsmallbusinesses.!

5RosinaGammarano,“InternationalDayofFamilies:HowMaritalStatusShapesLabourMarketOutcomes”,InternationalLabor

Organization,ILOSTAT,August23,2022.

6Ahaibwe,Gemma,SarahSsewanyana,andIbrahimKasirye."Education,Marriage,FertilityandLabourMarketExperiencesofYoungWomeninUganda:EvidencefromaQualitativeAssessment"No.674-2018-5537(2018);ZaharaNampewo,“TheillusionofGreenerPastures:ViolenceandJusticeforfemaleUgandanMigrantWorkersintheMiddleEast",StrathmoreLJ5(2021):1..

7Nampewo,"ThellusionofGreenerPastures".

8DeleRaheemetal,"TheContributionofCerealGrainstoFoodSecurityandSustainabilityinAfrica:PotentialApplicationofUAV

inGhana,Nigeria,Uganda,andNamibia",UrbanScience5,no.1(2021):8.

9OnyekachiUAghasili,"FuelChoice,AcuteRespiratoryInfectionandChildGrowthinUganda"(PhDdiss,PurdueUniversity,

2015).

10BenWhite,"AgricultureandtheGenerationProblem:RuralYouth,EmploymentandtheFutureofFarming",IDSBulletin43,no.6(2012):9-19.

nRitaMakumbi,"Uganda'sNationalYouthPolicyandJobCreationforYouth",IDSBulletin49,no.5(2018).

3PolicyBriefing288|UGANDA:THEFUTUREOFWORKFORYOUTH

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Ugandanyouthandexternalstakeholders,includingmembersofgovernment,

participatedintheYouthandSocialJusticeFutures:IdentifyingFutureSkillsandTraininginAfrica'project,whichconsistedofaseriesofworkshopsthatinvolvedparticipantsfromEastandSouthernAfrica.Heretheyouthimaginedalternativefutures,spokeabouttheissuesfacedintheircountriesandthoughtofinnovationstohelpaddresstheseproblems.Theworkshopsemployedaparticipatoryactionresearchmethodology,whichconsistedoftwoparts:YouthFuturesLiteracyLabsandtheThreeHorizonsFramework.TheYouthFuturesLiteracyLabsallowpeopletomaketheirparticipatoryassumptionsexplicitandtherebyrevealnotonlythedeterminantsofthefutureimaginedbutalsoattributesof

anticipatorysystemsandknowledgecreationprocesses.TheThreeHorizonsFrameworkdescribesthreepatternsofthinkingaboutthefuture.

Reflectionsontheproject

Theworldiscomplexanduncertain,withchallengessuchasclimatechangeandmentalhealthissuesthathinderyouthfromachievingtheirdesiredfutures.Youngpeople

inherittheworld,whichmakestheirperspectivesandvoicescrucialinunderstandingthechallengesandopportunitiesthatlieahead.

Theworkshopsemployedanon-judgementalapproachthatcreatedroomfor

participantstoexaminetheirneeds,biases,desiresandexpectationsforthefuture.Theworkshopsalsointroducednewterms,suchastheprobablefuture,reframedfutureandcausallayeredanalysis,aswellasnewtoolssuchasjamboards.Thisenabledyouthto

acquirenewtechniquestonavigatefuturesthinking.

ThroughtheYouthFuturesLiteracyLabs,participantsidentifiedtheirexpectationsfortheprobablefuture.Theyenvisionedachangeinleadership,areformedanduniformeducationsystem,technologicaladvancementsandeffectiveyouthrepresentationindecision-making.Thereframedfuturestriggeredcuriositytoenvisionafuturethathasnottranspiredyetandpushedparticipantstoshowcasetheircreativityandtalentsinimaginingwhatsuchafuturewouldlooklike.

Theworkshopsenabledparticipantstounderstandthatitisnecessarytotakeactiontoachieveadesiredfuture.Theuncertaintyofthefuturerequiresyouthengagementthroughcollaboratingwiththecommunityandeldersinaddressingsociety'spressingissues.Theseincludeclimatechange,mentalhealthawarenessandsexualand

reproductivehealth.Thisnecessitatesdoingthingsdifferentlywithoutbeingjudgemental,promotingthespiritofubuntuandcreatingmoreawarenessamongtheyouth,

promotingequity.Changestartswithyouth,whohavetoshapetheenvisionedfuture.

PolicyBriefing288|UGANDA:THEFUTUREOFWORKFORYOUTH

Strategicpriority1

Promotingtransparencyandanti-corruption

AccordingtoTransparencyInternational's2022CorruptionPerceptionIndex,Ugandais

ranked142outof180countries.!2Onascaleof0-100,thecountryscores26,asa'most

likelycorrupt'country.Varioussectors,suchasthejudiciary,customs,publicprocurement,ministriesandrelatedgovernmentdepartmentsandagencies,arepronetocorruption.Thereisthusaneedforgovernmenttooperationaliseandimplementanti-corruption

lawssuchastheAnti-CorruptionActof2009topreventcorruptionandholdoffendersaccountable.Tothisend,itshouldempoweranti-corruptioninstitutionssuchasthe

InspectorateofGovernment,thePublicProcurementandDisposalofPublicAssets

Authority(PPDA)andtheStateHouseAnti-CorruptionUnittoinvestigateandprosecutecorruptioncases.Itshouldsensitisethepublicaboutcorruptionanditsimplications,aswellastheaimsoftaskforcesoragenciesfightingcorruption.Participantsemphasisedtheneedforthejudiciary,InspectorateofGovernmentandPPDAtobeindependent,inordertoupholdtheruleoflawandpunishcorruptindividualswithoutfearorfavour.

Therewasalsoanemphasisontheimportanceoftransparency.Thispromotesanopengovernmentbymakinggovernmentinformationanddecision-makingmoreaccessibletothepublicandsoimprovingaccountability.This,inturn,facilitateseasytrackingof

governmentspendinganddecision-making,aidscitizencollaborationandpromotesthequalityofgovernmentdecisionsandresponsiveness.

·InspectorateofGovernment:Shouldinvestigate,arrestandprosecutecasesinvolvingcorruption,abuseofauthorityorpublicoffice.

PPDA:Mustensurethatpublicprocurementisconductedinafair,transparentandcompetitivemanner.

AuditorGeneral'sOffice:Shouldauditgovernmentaccounts,trackspendingandprotectthepublicinterestbyensuringpublicmoneyisspentforthebenefitofallUgandans

ParliamentaryAccountsCommittee:MustoverseetheworkoftheAuditorGeneral'sOfficeandensurethatgovernmentspendingistransparentandaccountable.

Strategicpriority2

Modernisingagriculture

AgricultureisUganda'sbackboneanditslargestemployer,aswellasamajorsourceofexports.3Investinginmodernagricultureisapathwaytoboosteconomicgrowth,

12TransparencyInternational,"Uganda",https///en/countries/uganda.

13Uganda,MinistryofAgriculture,AnimalIndustryandFisheries,"AgriculturalSector:Potential".(n.d.)

5PolicyBriefing288|UGANDA:THEFUTUREOFWORKFORYOUTH

increasevalueaddition,createjobs,increaseincomeforfarmers,reducepost-harvest

lossesandimprovefoodsecurity.Thegovernmentshouldinvestmoreinroads,storagefacilitiesandotherinfrastructuretoimprovemarketaccessforfarmers,accesstocreditandcreationofmarketlinkages.Thiswillprovideamarketfortheirproduce,thereby

facilitatingtherequiredinvestmentinagriculturalresearchanddevelopment.Suchnewtechnologiesandpracticesincludeimprovedseedsandfertilisers,pesticides,irrigationandfarmmachinery.Theprovisionoftrainingbasedonpracticalskillstailoredtothe

needsoffarmersandmakingsuchtrainingaccessibleregardlessoflocationandincomelevelswillboostagriculture.Thiscanbeachievedbyprovidingscholarships,transporttotrainingfacilities,follow-uptrainingandmentoring.Trainingonpost-harvesthandling,pestanddiseasecontrol,fertilisation,irrigation,landpreparationandplantingimprovescropyieldandproductivity,thuscontributingtoeconomicgrowth.

·MinistryofAgriculture,AnimalIndustryandFisheries:Shouldformulatepolicies,plansandprogrammesfortheagriculturalsector;provideextensionservicesto

farmers;andpromoteagriculturalresearchanddevelopment.

NationalAgriculturalAdvisoryServices:Shouldprovideagriculturalextension

services,training,adviceandsupporttofarmersonissuessuchascropproduction,livestockmanagementandmarketing.

NationalAgriculturalResearchOrganization:Shouldconductagricultural

researchanddevelopnewtechnologiesandpracticesthatcanimproveagriculturalproductivity.

Non-governmentalorganisations:Shouldprovidefunding,training,scholarships,adviceandsupporttofarmers.

Strategicpriority3

Reformingtheeducationsystem

Itiscrucialtoreformtheeducationsystemtohelpaddressunemployment.Education

mustbelinkedtothelabourmarketbyworkingwithemployerstoidentifytheskills

neededandtailoringtheeducationsystemaccordingly.Entrepreneurshipshould

bepromotedthroughentrepreneurialtraining,accesstofinanceandexhibitionsfor

studentstoshowcasetheirinnovationsandsoencouragethemtostarttheirown

businesses.Thegovernmentshouldmakevocationaltrainingmoreaccessiblewithout

biasintermsoffinancialbackground.Additionally,vocationalinstitutionsshouldbe

constructed,andscholarshipsandotherfinancialassistanceprovidedtothestudents.

Emphasisshouldbeputonthepracticalskillsinagriculture,manufacturing,constructionandinformationtechnologythataredemandedbyemployers.

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PolicyBriefing288|UGANDA:THEFUTUREOFWORKFORYOUTH

Reformingtheeducationsystemisacomplexandchallengingtask.However,withthecooperationofallstakeholdersitispossibletoachievesignificantprogress,improvethequalityofeducationinUgandaandpreparestudentsforthefuture.

Youthalsohavetochangetheirmindsetregardingalternativeformsofeducation.

Universityeducationisnotaguaranteeofemploymentandvocationaleducationisvital.

·MinistryofEducationandSports:Shoulddevelopandimplementneweducationpoliciesandstrategiesandallocatemoreresourcestothesector.

NationalCurriculumDevelopmentCentre:ShoulddevelopandreviewthenationalcurriculaforalllevelsofeducationinUgandaandprovideguidanceandsupporttoteachersandschoolsinimplementingthese.

·Privatesector.Shouldprovidefinancialsupport,trainingandotherresourcesinpartnershipwithschoolsandlocalgovernmentstodevelopinnovativesolutionstoeducationalchallenges.

Parentsandcommunities:Shouldsupportschoolsandteachersandadvocatefordesiredreforms.

Conclusion

ThisbriefingpresentsdiverseyouthperspectivesthatarevitalinshapingcompellingpolicyinterventionstoaddresstheissueofyouthunemploymentinUganda.

Ugandahasoneoftheyoungestpopulationsintheworld,withover78%ofthe

populationbelow30,whiletheunemploymentrateforyouth(ages15-24)is23.8%!4Severalfactorscontributetoyouthunemploymentinthecountry,includingaslow-growingeconomy,amismatchbetweenskillsandtheneedsofthelabourmarket,corruption,acumbersomebureaucracyandalackofaccesstofinance.Thehighrateofyouthunemploymenthasledtoincreasedpoverty,socialunrestandabraindrain.

However,therearemanyentrepreneurialandresilientyoungpeoplewithsmall-scale

businessesandapassionforinnovationssuchasdevelopingapplicationsinhealth,

securityandtransportorfabricatingfarmingmachineryandfoodprocessingmachinery.

ThegovernmentofUgandahastakensomestepstoaddresstheproblemofyouthunemploymentbyinvestingineducationandtraining,creatingjobsthrough

infrastructuredevelopmentandpromotingentrepreneurship.However,itiscrucialto

createamore

14RebeccaNamatovuetal,"YouthEntrepreneurshipTrendsandPoliciesinUganda",inYoungEntrepreneursinSub-SaharanAfrica,eds.KatherineVGoughandThildeLangevang(London:Routledge,2016),18-31.

7PolicyBriefing288|UGANDA:THEFUTUREOFWORKFORYOUTH

business-friendlyenvironment,investineducationreforms,offertrainingandyouthskillsprogrammestailoredtotheneedsofthelabourmarket,hiremoreyoungpeopleand

providethemwithopportunitiesfortrainingandadvancementinbusiness.

Thispolicybriefingispartofaseries.Thepolicyrecommendationshereinarethe

outputof36foresightworkshopsacrossEastandSouthernAfrica,formingpartofthe'YouthandSocialJusticeFutures:IdentifyingFutureSkillsandTraininginAfrica'project.Theaimoftheprojectwastoidentifyandaddressyouthskillsneedsin

theregionbyemployingfuturesthinking.Thisresearchwasco-createdwithyouthparticipantsfromTanzania,Uganda,Malawi,ZambiaandSouthAfricainworkshopsthatengageddecisionmakersingovernment,civilsociety,industryassociations

andtheprivatesector.Theresearchemployedbothadecolonial-informedmethod(FuturesLiteracyLabs)andapolicyaction-orientedmethod(ThreeHorizons

Framework).

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PolicyBriefing288|UGANDA:THEFUTUREOFWORKFORYOUTH

Author

FaridahNaka