22 Jun 2017

Government has resolved as feasible the process of retooling youth in order for them to self-employ while creating employment for other young Batswana, Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse has said.

Speaking at a series of kgotla meetings in his Serowe North constituency, Mr Autlwetse said there were currently over 30 000 unemployed graduates, 7 000 of whom were qualified teachers with degree and diploma certificates.

He said it was against this backdrop of huge unemployed graduates that government considered retooling youth into vocational education and training so that they could self-employ and create opportunities for others.

He argued that graduates of vocational education and training were well-equipped to create job opportunities and amass wealth for themselves rather than solely relying on government and companies to offer them job opportunities.

Mr Autlwetse said unlike in the past where graduates were guaranteed employment and housing upon completion of their studies, today’s graduates faced a plethora of challenges in the job market where government was the biggest employer.

Mr Autlwetse also said that it was counter productive to train students in courses whereupon completion they would not be employed or not even self-employ hence the soon to be introduced retooling.

The assistant minister challenged the youth to tap into agriculture where opportunities lie in wait for them. He tipped agriculture as an answer to unemployment.

He said government wanted to see youth actively partaking in agriculture to produce food and ensure food security.

He said tractors and implements were in short supply and urged the youth to buy tractors and plough for others as a business venture.

Mr Autlwetse said while others ploughed, some youth could buy produce and turn them into finished products thereby creating employment for those they would be engaging in the processes.

He said time was ripe for agriculture to be a business since people needed food every day.

He noted that other business ventures that the youth could seek to exploit  were cattle feeds which were in short supply locally.

The assistant minister wondered why Batswana failed to produce enough food yet they were endowed with fertile soils just like South Africans who produced enough food to feed their people and export to neighbouring countries. BOPA