March 11, 2020

EDC Talks: Preparing Youth for Work in Rwanda

“All employers are looking for youth who have the skills that meet their needs,” says Steve Kamanzi.

With the right skills and training, out-of-school youth can become successful contributors to the workforce, giving them income, purpose, and a brighter future. In Rwanda, EDC is showing how to do this at scale through the USAID Huguka Dukore Akazi Kanoze (HDAK) program, which aims to get 40,000 youth into the workforce.

In this video, EDC’s Steve Kamanzi describes how out-of-school youth participating in HDAK get the training they need to enter the workforce. He also discusses why the skills they are learning and the experiences they are having through HDAK are so vital to their success.

“The bottom line is, all the employers are basically looking for youth who have the skills that meet their needs,” says Kamanzi. “But employers [also] need youth who come with some sort of work experience or work exposure, who are really ready for work.”