Programme Areas Methodologies

In Uganda as is in most African countries where 70% of the bottom billion poor live, unemployment, under-employment and poverty levels have continued to increase and have remained at extremely high levels despite considerable efforts to promote sustainable development by the Uganda government and international development partners. According to a study by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics entitled “Labour Market Conditions”, graduates of universities have the highest rate of unemployment of any sector of Ugandan society.

Graduates’ unemployment in Uganda has become a disheartening problem. Since 1987 when Uganda had one university, Makerere, the growth of employment opportunities for graduates has not kept with the pace of increase in the number of universities, which currently stand at 29. According to statistics from the Uganda Population Report 2005, over 390,000 people join the labour market annually but only 3000 get jobs. Currently, Official figures from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics and the Uganda Investment Authority indicate that some 400,000 Ugandans join the labour force every year but only 18,000 new jobs are created. It means that every available job opportunity has more than 20 applicants, leaving at least 382,000 unemployed, which represents around 95% university and college graduates youth unemployment rate. Addressing the rampant university and college graduates' unemployment in Uganda, is the major theme of Julius Babyetsiza's recently [Oct. 2011] published book, DESTINED TO TRIUMPH, which can peeped at here: http://destined-to-triumph.blogspot.com/