New Dawn Government Launches National Youth Development Programme

As part of the National Youth Development Programme, the government have announced that they will offer internships to 2,000 young people in Zambia.

The announcement comes after the Minister of Youth, Sport and Art wrote to other government ministries asking them to provide a number of positions in their offices.

The programme, which is being developed in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is due to kick off this month.

During an interview, the Minister of Youth, Sport and Art explained that the internships will offer immeasurable benefits to gaining practical work experience, helping young people secure jobs in the future.

Additionally, the Ministry of Education’s Permanent Secretary, Joel Kamoko, praised the youth minister for his work on the internship programme.

He said, “Higher learning institutions need to work closely with the government in order to connect youths to such programmes.”

Last month, the government also launched the first phase of the Youth Projects.

The projects will work with the United Nations to recruit 2,000 interns and graduates across the country.

It represents a clear step taken by the New Dawn government to address youth unemployment and give more opportunities to young people across the country, whilst contributing to Zambia’s economic development.

The Minister of Youth summarised the plan stating, “As you may be aware, Zambian youths who constitute a majority of our country’s population are faced with several challenges such as high unemployment rates, these youth initiatives are meant to uplift the welfare of our young people.”

The projects will initially last until 2026, however, there are plans for them to last indefinitely.