13 Feb 2013

The Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) and the Ministry of Education and Skill Development have launched an Entrepreneurship Awareness Workshop (EAW).

Launched at Kagiso Senior Secondary School in Ramotswa, the workshop would develop students' entrepreneurial interest and it followed the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two institutions in October last year.

LEA deputy chief executive officer, Mr Cosmos Moapare said because no efforts have been made to mentor and guide students to become self-employed, the workshop strived to ensure that at the end of training, students could assess themselves and decide whether they had entrepreneurship traits.

He said the workshop would equip the future generation with basic knowledge on how to identify business opportunities as well as how to start and run a business within the Botswana business environment.

“This programme will further roll out to various tertiary education final year students reaching an overall target of approximately 37 000 young Botswana which is inclusive of those from the senior secondary schools,” he said.

He said the students would also be educated on the various support programmes available to them through various government departments.

Mr Moapare added that the EAW programme targeted youth groups as a plot to reduce unemployment and further pointed out that the developed small micro and medium enterprises sector would add value to growth of the country.

For his part, deputy permanent secretary in the education ministry, Mr Mogotsamang Kewagamang said the MOU signed between LEA and his ministry promoted cooperation in the field of education and entrepreneurship hence the need to conduct regular awareness workshops. He said the programme would go a long way in addressing unemployment adding that nowadays it was hard for degree holders to find employment. ENDS