In 2022 Rendzo Network Africa (formerly Seeza Network) created #MathubOlusha (opportunities for youth), an initiative focused on unlocking work-based learning, experience acquisition and employment opportunities for young people by placing them in SME's informed by the simple logic that SMEs constitute by far the vast majority of workplaces in our economy and should therefore be the primary partners for youth placement efforts. A stint in an SME, versus a larger business, can also impart valuable entrepreneurial knowledge and capabilities to a young person.
Through #MathubOlusha, and Rendzo's own experience in hosting several interns over the years, including our current four funded by National Skills Fund, we gained rich insights into the dynamics of SME and youth engagement.
Starting this month, we are most excited about the Network's new partnership with the country's largest sector education and training authority, Services SETA, to take the #MathubOlusha initiative to its new and exciting phase, comprising two core elements:
➡️ An international benchmarking study on SME-youth engagement: motivations, perceptions, approaches, enablers and inhibitors.
➡️ A 2-day multi-stakeholder Summit to exchange experiences and lessons, and, crucially, to map out a collaborative effort to drive impactful SME-youth engagement across all sectors of our economy. Details coming Soon!!
