By Noncedo Shabangu
MBABANE – Business Eswatini (BE) has taken a significant stride toward bolstering youth employability and entrepreneurship in the Kingdom, following a pivotal meeting with the German Development Agency (GIZ). The discussions, focused on the upcoming EU-funded Skills for Youth Employability, Entrepreneurship and Empowerment programme, charted a collaborative path to revitalize Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Eswatini.
The high-level dialogue centered on harnessing the power of the private sector – led by BE – to translate national TVET policy into tangible opportunities for young Emaswati. Key areas of alignment included:
Demand-Driven Training: Identifying high-growth industries and the critical technical skills needed to fuel economic competitiveness.
Expanded Work-Based Learning: Scaling up internships, apprenticeships, and mentorship programmes to bridge the gap between education and employment.
Strengthened Public-Private Partnership: Ensuring employers have a direct voice in shaping relevant curricula and credible certification standards.
Inclusive Access: Advancing measures to increase participation of women and vulnerable youth in skilled career pathways.
“Eswatini’s future prosperity hinges on a skilled workforce ready to meet the evolving demands of industry,” emphasized Mr. E. Nathi Dlamini, CEO of Business Eswatini. “This strategic partnership with GIZ and the EU empowers us to co-create training pathways that equip our youth with the skills employers actively seek, driving both individual opportunity and national growth.”
GIZ representatives lauded BE’s proactive leadership, highlighting that robust private-sector engagement is fundamental to the programme’s success. Scheduled to launch later this year, the initiative will support both systemic reforms and practical pilot projects across the TVET sector.
Immediate next steps involve detailed mapping of priority skill gaps among BE members and co-hosting sectoral dialogues to directly inform the programme’s first-year implementation plan.
This landmark collaboration powerfully reaffirms Business Eswatini’s commitment to cultivating a dynamic, future-ready labour market for Eswatini. It also underscores the European Union’s steadfast partnership in fostering sustainable economic development and youth empowerment across The country, paving the way for a brighter, more skilled future.
(Courtesy Pic)
