On Thursday 23rd June, Prince’s Trust International held an event at the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre Kigali, attended by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. The event saw the launch of new research from The Prince’s Trust group of charities, highlighting young people’s attitudes to the future of work.
Supported by HSBC, the research across 12 countries in the Commonwealth and beyond highlights ‘An Upskill Struggle’ for many young people on their journey from education to the workplace.
Founded by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and building on four decades of experience in the UK, Prince’s Trust International delivers employability, education and enterprise programmes in over 17 countries. Since 2020, the charity has been working in Rwanda with local partners Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Akazi Kanoze Access and the African Management Institute.
During the event, a number of young programme participants had the opportunity to present their businesses and products, including home décor items and furniture design.
One of these young people, Niyonsaba, started his business with just 5,000 francs (~£4), a hammer, saw and a piece of wood. After attending the Problem Solving for Earning course with Prince’s Trust International and our partners Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Niyonsaba started making wooden shoe racks. Using the marketing skills he learned on the programme to promote his products, Niyonsaba now has a thriving business.
Building on the success of the programmes in Rwanda, and as a legacy of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Prince’s Trust International will launch its new Enterprise Challenge programme in Rwanda for the first time, helping school-age young people to develop the entrepreneurship skills needed to set up their own business.
During the visit, His Royal Highness also met with Prince’s Trust International delivery partners from across the Commonwealth, including SEED Ventures (Pakistan), Magic Bus (India), Asante Africa Foundation (Kenya), Junior Achievement (Ghana), Youth Opportunity and Transformation in Africa (Ghana) and Field of Skills and Dreams (Nigeria).
Prince’s Trust International is committed to listening to the needs of young people and supporting their future ambitions. As the global economy evolves, new job opportunities are being created and young people are responding to this. From the research, 86% of young people in Rwanda showed interest in a green job and 88% in a digital job. With young Rwandans showing an eagerness to work in these emerging sectors, it is notable that soft skills such as teamwork (97%) and communication (97%) were rated as important compared to 83% thinking university qualifications are important.
To help them succeed, a quarter of young people feel that the main step businesses could take to help them would be to offer more entry-level roles for those without qualifications or experience.
Will Straw, Chief Executive of Prince’s Trust International, said:
“The pandemic and global economic crisis are exacerbating existing youth employment challenges in many countries around the Commonwealth including Rwanda. We are therefore delighted to be growing our existing programmes in Rwanda which we hope will inspire the next generation of Rwandan entrepreneurs.
“We are seeking partners who are willing to invest in young people, especially in the green and digital sectors”.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Jayathma Wickramanayake, United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, said:
“Young people worldwide are disproportionately impacted by the multi-faceted challenges facing our world today, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, growing inequalities, and ongoing conflicts.
“To ensure every young person is empowered to reach their fullest potential, we must invest in universal, quality, and relevant opportunities for young people, including education, skills development, and decent jobs. This urgent need for action is captured in The Prince’s Trust Group’s second report on the future of work for young people”.
Research methods
10,187 young people (aged 18 to 34 years old) were surveyed across Australia, Canada, Ghana, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th February – 8th March 2022. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults (aged 18+).
17 focus groups with young people (aged 16 to 32 years old) were held across Australia, Barbados, Canada, India, Jordan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Rwanda and the United Kingdom.
About Prince’s Trust International
Prince’s Trust International has been supporting young people worldwide since 2015. We were founded by HRH The Prince of Wales to tackle the global crisis in youth unemployment, building on four decades of experience in the UK.
Our mission is to empower young people to learn, earn and thrive. We provide opportunities to develop the skills and confidence to succeed and deliver tangible employment outcomes. By blending our expertise with a global network of local partners, we develop programmes and interventions to help young people to build their own futures.
Our programmes and interventions are now present in 17 countries within the Commonwealth and beyond, across Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Europe. We have supported more than 45,000 young people worldwide since 2015. (End)