BUJUMBURA June 26th (ABP) – The Prime Minister of Burundi, Alain Guillaume Bunyoni, on Thursday June 23, 2022, called on operators in the private and public sectors to grant the first job internship to young graduates, with the aim of supporting the state in the fight against unemployment. It was during the high-level forum on the sensitization of companies for the granting of first job internships to young graduates, organized by the Ministry of East African Community Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture.
The Prime Minister noted that in Burundi, both private and public companies require years of professional experience as an eligibility criterion, a criterion which, on the other hand, serves as a disqualification for most of them. He thus appealed to business leaders to provide first job internships for young people in their organizations, because this fact constitutes the preparation of a good future for the company that benefits most from it.
Mr. Bunyoni also called for collaboration between different companies and the Office Burundaise de la Main d’oeuvre (OBM) to facilitate this project. He invited the young holders of different diplomas in Burundi to register in the databases of this Office to be able to be directed to the companies where this internship is offered.
In his presentation, the national coordinator of the Economic Empowerment and Youth Employment Program (PAEEJ), Mr. Désiré Manirakiza pointed out that 400 thousand unemployed young people were identified in 2020, the provinces of Bujumbura Mairie, Gitega and Makamba having the greater number. He also pointed out that in Burundi, 90 percent of young people who complete their studies receive their first job after 5 years of unemployment.
According to Mr. Manirakiza, the lack of a first job internship is one of the major causes of the non-employment of young graduates. This national coordinator also indicated that, this year, 1,500 young graduates will benefit from these internships, within public institutions and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). It is with this in mind that he called on operators in the private sector to follow this good example, which will be beneficial for them and for these young people.
It is important to know that this support project for young graduates is supported by the African Development Bank (ADB), the International Organization for Migration, as well as the government of Burundi.