To address career and job market skills needed of young adults this COVID-19 season, Re!gnite Africa is implementing an online Career Building Accelerator, a six-to-eight weeks training program targeting finalists, fresh graduates, and young professionals starting out in their professional journeys.
Why Online?
When the global outbreak of coronavirus happened, it left the world turned upside down. Life as the world knew it changed drastically. Since March 2020, Uganda joined the rest of the world in the fight against the spread of the deadly virus. Government and the Ministry of Health set Standard Operating Procedures that included a total lockdown of the economy and movement of people – except for essential workers – for a period of two months. This move left a devastating effect of the livelihood, wellbeing, and health of people – especially those who already had pre-existing social-economic and medical challenges. To address these adverse effects, the Government of Uganda embarked on a process to lift the lockdown in partial phases. At the end of May, the category of vital sectors/essential workers was expanded to include public transport of foods and other goods, transportation of the sick, construction, and private car owners. Later, in June, public transport was lifted, albeit with limited capacity hence prompting providers of this service to increase fares by over 100% in some cases. This has meant that although people are free to move, limitations such as high costs of transport and limited means of public transport, still make it hard for vulnerable groups such as the poor and unemployed youth. And yet, public gatherings are still prohibited because COVID-19 cases have risen, and community spread is on the rise. The future is still uncertain and that is why Re!gnite Africa’s annual Career Positioning Program is on hold.
To bridge this gap, provide employability and soft skills to young adults joining the workplace in the time of COVID-19, Re!gnite has created the Online Career Building Accelerator. The program aims to provide online support in form of;
- Key insights, best practices, and tips
- Practical skills
- General knowledge and resources
- A support network from within the community of participants
- Where possible, connections to platforms and individuals with opportunities
Program modules and calendar will be shared with participants.
End of September Update
Creating change in our communities is sometimes about sharing the little we have. For us this season, this has meant giving young professionals, young activists, and change-makers the platform, knowledge, resources, and moral support they need to smoothly step up to the demands of the world of work and leadership this season.
For our online Career Building Accelerator, we have so far reached approximately 100 young professionals and entrepreneurs and supported them with online trainings, resources, and connections. When #COVID19UG hit, our programming was challenged. Amongst all we’ve done to adapt and meet the needs of this group was the move to conduct our career programming online hence our first ever online Career Building Accelerator.
The aim was to support youth looking for jobs and/doing business this season! Here are some of the faces of those who participated:
