Maputo — The Mozambican Ministry of Agriculture will train 2,650 young people from 38 districts in a programme aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and job creation in the marine and fisheries subsector.
Half of the beneficiaries will be women.
The initiative, launched last week in Matola, southern Maputo province, by Secretary of State for the Sea and Fisheries Momade Arnaldo Juízo, is supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It seeks to equip young people with technical skills to establish businesses and generate income in their communities.
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The programme covers northern provinces of Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado; central provinces of Zambézia, Tete, Manica and Sofala; as well as the southern province of Inhambane.
Training will cover aquaculture and the fisheries value chain, including
complementary skills in refrigeration and electrical installation. After completing the courses, each beneficiary will receive a work kit to help start an independent economic activity and potentially create jobs for others.
"For a long time, we told our young people: 'study'. Today, we are saying something stronger: 'study, and we will walk alongside you towards employment, towards business, towards independence'," Juízo said.
He added that the programme's success should be measured by the businesses established and jobs created, rather than simply the number of people trained.
Juízo also called on the private sector to provide professional internships and first-job opportunities to facilitate young people's entry into the labour market.
For her part, IFAD's Country Director in Mozambique, Joana Keitaanranta, said the initiative seeks to prepare young people not only to enter the labour market but also to become entrepreneurs, innovators and job creators, strengthening youth participation in the blue economy, particularly in rural communities.
(AIM)
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