The Head of the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), Col. Edith Nakalema, has highlighted the potential of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector to create significant employment opportunities for Ugandan youths.
BPO refers to outsourcing specific business processes to third-party service providers, enabling companies to focus on their core activities while reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
“We have a large number of educated youths, and BPOs can provide meaningful opportunities to engage them productively,” Col. Nakalema remarked during a meeting with BPO stakeholders held today at SHIPU offices in Kampala. The meeting focused on strategies to combat youth unemployment through the growth of the BPO sector.
Col. Nakalema emphasized the abundance of untapped opportunities in BPO and urged stakeholders to raise awareness about the sector to ensure youths benefit. “Yesterday, we engaged with leaders of the Indian Business Forum, who expressed interest in expanding investments in areas such as BPO,” she shared.
“BPOs are part of the solution to the significant challenge of youth unemployment in Uganda. We need to identify how to integrate our youth into roles that match their skills and potential,” she added.
Col. Nakalema also called on stakeholders to mobilize and train talented youths. “Support young people in earning a living by applying their skills. I believe every university graduate has a role to play in the BPO sector. Many of our youths are talented but lack the necessary support,” she noted.
Mr. Joshua Akandwanaho, BPO and ITES Supervisor at NITA-U, stressed the importance of equipping youths with soft skills to fully harness opportunities in the BPO sector. “Even those who completed Senior Six can find roles in BPO, particularly in customer care and marketing. However, some require upskilling to meet sector demands,” he explained.
Similarly, Mr. Kwesiga Steven, General Manager at Exquisite Solution Limited, highlighted the need for favorable government policies to drive demand for BPO services. “In the past, we trained youths, but they couldn’t secure jobs because of limited BPO opportunities. The government must establish policies to stimulate demand and promote the sector,” he said.
Mr. Rajnish Jain, founder of Yako Bank, shared details of an ongoing project focused on empowering youth in the ICT sector. “We are working on building a Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) sector to expand opportunities for youth,” he revealed.
Ms. Grace Labong Achire of Yako Call Centre emphasized the importance of mindset change and soft skills in making Uganda competitive in the global BPO market. “Our youths need to understand that this sector is highly competitive. While many of them are educated and trained, they lack practical experience with emerging technologies. Exposing them to such tools is essential,” she elaborated.
The meeting also featured contributions from prominent figures, including former Attorney General Hon. Fred Ruhindi and Ms. Hiromi Abe, the Private Secretary to H.E the President for Investment Matters.
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