Staff Reporters
Windhoek-Cognisant of the importance education plays in the lives of Namibians and how it has the ability to empower them, Standard Bank has been a vehement supporter of organisations such as the Katutura Youth and Enterprise Centre (KAYEC Trust), which aims to enhance entrepreneurial development through vocational skills training to young people.
To further illustrate this support, Standard Bank last week handed over toolkits to KAYEC graduates in Ondangwa which will enable the trainees to get a head start in setting up their own businesses in their respective field of studies. A total of 75 toolkits were handed over to the graduates in the following vocational fields namely automotive, bricklaying, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, tiling/painting and welding
“Namibia’s unemployment rate is currently estimated at 34.0 percent, it is therefore a serious concern and we would like to assist our Government in addressing this issue by investing in young and upcoming graduates,” Standard Bank’s Northern Regional Manager, Ismael Hakaaje, said during the handover which was held on Friday, 7 July.
Entrepreneurship is an intrinsic part of Standard Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility, as it not only empowers young people into the small and medium business sector, but also enables them to contribute positively to the economy of the country.
“It is against this background, that it gives me great privilege to handing over Standard Bank toolkits to the graduates of the KAYEC Trust. The toolkits worth a total of N$240 000 contain just the right equipment and tools for the students to get employed or work for themselves once they graduate,” Hakaaje stressed.
The business and entrepreneurial skills that school drop outs and unemployment youth receive at KAYEC Trust is integrated in their technical studies. This aids them in starting their own businesses and are able to palpable results in their lives almost immediately.
Hakaaje further urged the graduates to make the best of their training, noting that the doors are have been opened for them to start their own businesses or get employment in the vocational trade industry.
“We hope that the new toolkits will empower you to build yourself a prosperous future. We wish you all the best with your future endeavours! Don’t forget that once you are up and running at your workplace or managing your own business to come invest your hard earned money at Standard Bank. We are definitely here to move you forward,” he concluded.
On his part KAYEC director Nelson Prada commended the Bank for donating toolkits to 209 KAYEC graduates ever since 2012. “Standard Bank see what our young people will contribute to Namibia, if they have the tools they need. Since 2012, Standard Bank has stood by our trainees, because they saw the future that all young people from Ondangwa can have, of they get the opportunities they deserve. These are young women and men who already professionally equipped craftspeople that our regions need, because Standard Bank didn’t see what they looked like before – they saw what they could be,” said Prada.
As a vocational training centre based on Ondangwa and Windhoek, KAYEC is a non-profit organisation established in 1995 to help disadvantaged young Namibians with skills needed to become employable or either start their own businesses.