Youth want Teveta to intervene on loans
Youths in the country have asked government to consider finding other alternative sources of capital to help them set up businesses after they graduate from various technical colleges across the country.
The sentiments were made on Saturday when Technical Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training Authority (Teveta) held a panel discussion at Mangochi Community Technical College in the district.
Most youths who spoke during the discussion complained that despite being given equipment upon graduation, they are still finding it hard to start their businesses because they do not have capital to purchase some raw materials.
As a results the youth say most of them are struggling to earn a living because they are even finding it hard to secure piece works.
“We have been visiting banks to get loans to start our business but it is not happening because we do not gave the collateral which the banks demand. This is not on because as young people, we do not have these collateral,” said Chisomo Bernard.
The idea of equipping the youth with vocational skills was meant to give the country’s young population a chance to create jobs for themselves and other youths through setting up of businesses in their respective fields.
But this, according to the youth, is not the case because most of them are ending up either being employed by companies or staying at home waiting to secure employment instead of starting their businesses.
One of the graduates Ernest Kabichi suggested the idea of having a deliberate policy of awarding government contracts at district level to the youth as a means of helping them raise their own capital.
But Modesto Gomani, Director of Programmes at Teveta said that his organization has a working relationship with some commercial banks in the country where Teveta graduates can be accessing loans after forming a group.
He says that after getting feedback from the people, his organization will engage other partners to find means of ending challenges Teveta graduates are facing.
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