Business Eswatini (BE) has partnered with the German Development Agency (GIZ) to help improve youth employment and entrepreneurship.
The two organisations recently held a key meeting to discuss how they can work together under the new EU-funded programme called ‘Skills for Youth Employability, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment.
The programme aims to strengthen technical and vocational education and Training (TVET) in the country by making it more useful and relevant to today’s job market.
The goal is to help more young people, especially women and those from vulnerable backgrounds get the skills they need to find work or start their own businesses. BE Chief Executive Officer (CEO) E. Nathi Dlamini said the partnership would help connect national policies to real opportunities.
“We want to identify fast-growing industries and the technical skills needed to help Eswatini compete in the economy,” he said.
Dlamini emphasised that by working with GIZ and the EU, they could build training programmes that match what employers were looking for.
“This will create chances for young people and help the country grow,” he said.
Dlamini added that the plan includes expanding internships, apprenticeships and mentorships so that students gain real work experience.
Another goal is to give employers a stronger voice in shaping school courses and qualifications to better prepare students for the job market.
During the meeting GIZ representatives praised BE for its strong leadership.
They said getting private businesses involved was key to the success of the programme, which was expected to start later this year.
The next steps would include identifying the most needed skills among BE members and hosting industry-specific meetings to guide the programme’s first-year plan.
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“This partnership marks an important step for Eswatini’s future. It shows BE’s commitment to creating a skilled, job-ready workforce and highlights EU’s continued support for youth empowerment and economic development in the country,” said Dlamini.
Launched on July 1, the EU-funded programme worth E300 million aims to contribute to human capital development and social inclusion by strengthening TVET systems to align with labour market demands and national skills needs.
The programme particularly focuses on economic development and the inclusion of youth, women and other disadvantaged groups.
Government representatives present during the launch of the programme applauded the initiative, noting its potential to position Eswatini among the region’s leaders in TVET excellence and reduce youth unemployment while fuelling entrepreneurship.
Speaking during the launch, European Union (EU) Head of Cooperation Eva-Maria Engdahl reaffirmed EU’s commitment to ensuring that this programme benefits the youth of Eswatini and remains socially inclusive, in line with the EU–Eswatini Multi-Annual Indicative Programme (MIP) 2021–2027.
The programme is funded by the European Union and implemented by GIZ under the WE4D programme.
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