Youth toWork — A Life Changer
The Youth to Work program has been a life changer for me. Not just because of the many opportunities that come with it but also due to the great experiences that one gets as a Junior Associate. To be honest, Youth to Work has offered me more than I anticipated.
When I got to know about the Youth to Work program, I clearly knew it would be the best fit for me at the moment because it is a youth employability program. Youth to Work equips young people with competitive employability skills and also gives them a clear understanding of business and business management. The above skills would then help young people improve their standards of living by either getting a job after completing the program or even better, start a business with a lot more professionalism.
On top of equipping young people with all the above skills, the program also offers the youth a chance to gain an internationally recognized management qualification from CMI (Chartered Management Institute). Having realized all the benefits that would come from taking part in the program, I decided to apply and hope I would be shortlisted. Fortunately I was among the lucky few who were short listed for the interviews. One thing caught my eye was that the Challenges team is comprised of young people. This motivated me further because I realized I would have the chance to work with fellow youth who are experiencing the same things I am.
Fortunately, I was selected as one of the Junior Associates for the 2021 cycle! From then on, I knew my life was going to take an upward spiral of growth that would help me have a competitive edge in the job market.
I was then invited for the pre placement training where I met my fellow Junior Associates with whom I was to be placed in small and medium businesses that best matched our personal profiles. I was placed with an organization called Nampya Farmers Market, Namayumba. I was given a very warm welcome by the CEO who gave me a detailed introduction of the business including how it started, and how the business executes its goal.
Ever since the day I started my placement up to this moment, I have had one of the best times because I have learned a lot from the business and have also improved my leadership and managerial skills. This is mainly because I was assigned to the field team of the business that is in charge of production. Working with this team has enabled me start working on one of the major challenges that the business was facing — inadequate presence on the ground. I am now working tirelessly with the team to ensure that by the end of my placement, there are significant improvements in the business’ efficiency. The team has grown in professionalism and I have in turn learned more on business management and problem solving in order to overcome business challenges.
The Youth to Work program has given me a chance to discover the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities that are within my grasp. Through peer-to-peer learning, Junior Associates are able to help one another to achieve the best from the program both personally and professionally. This has further helped me to increase my social capital which is very much needed if one is to succeed in this day and age.
For all those that may have the opportunity of applying for the program, I seriously urge you to! The Youth to Work program opens doors in your life that you did not even know existed, awakens skills that you didn’t know you possessed and when all these are used effectively; it’s a clear gateway to success.
