Uganda Rural Development and Training Institute (URDT Institute) successfully participated in the Uganda Partners Convening 2026, held at Méstil Hotel & Residences in Kampala under the theme “Strengthening Education, Skilling and Skills Development Pathways for Young People.”
The convening brought together Mastercard Foundation partners working across education, skilling and youth employment to reflect on progress, share experiences, identify emerging challenges and explore practical approaches for strengthening pathways that enable young people to transition from learning to dignified and productive work.
In his opening remarks, Adrian Bukenya, Country Director of the Mastercard Foundation, emphasized the critical role of education institutions in transforming communities through knowledge, skills and opportunities that contribute to social and economic development.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration, continuous learning and experience sharing among education and development actors, noting that stakeholders need to regularly assess what is working, what is not working and what needs to change to achieve better outcomes.
Bukenya also called for deliberate efforts to make education and skills development more inclusive, particularly for underserved communities and persons with disabilities. He noted that limited resources remain a significant challenge, requiring sustained investment and more effective use of available resources.
The convening also provided a platform for young people to share their experiences and perspectives on the transition from education and training into work.
Ajilia Lydia, a programme participant from Cyber School Technology Solutions, highlighted the rapidly changing nature of the labour market, driven by technology, emerging industries and new economic opportunities. She noted that many young people continue to face difficulties transitioning from education and training into employment.
She called for training institutions to adopt practical, agile and market-responsive approaches while strengthening collaboration among education institutions, government, employers and the private sector.
According to Lydia, qualifications alone are not enough. Young people also require practical skills, work experience, networks, access to finance, tools and equipment to successfully enter and remain in the labour market.
She further emphasized the need to track not only the number of young people trained but also how many transitions into employment, start businesses and grow sustainable enterprises, with special attention to the barriers affecting young women and persons with disabilities.
Presentations from program partners emphasized that successful youth development requires more than technical training. Young people need holistic support that combines education, practical skills, mentorship, entrepreneurship development, financial literacy, access to finance, market linkages and connections to employment opportunities.
The partners emphasized the importance of practical and hands-on training that enables young people to apply their skills in real work environments. They also highlighted the need for partnerships among training institutions, government, private-sector employers, communities and development organisations.
A presentation on the Uganda Education, Skilling and Skills Development Portfolio by Abdallah Sseruwagi, EdTech Consultant and NTV, Allen Arinaitwe, Programme Director at Hive Colab, and Abigael Otinga, Deputy Programme Director at RUFORUM, emphasized the importance of media and digital storytelling in informing, inspiring and influencing change.
The presenters called for stronger audience engagement, community listening and the use of digital platforms, including Google and YouTube archives, to expand access to programme stories, knowledge and information.
They emphasized that organisations should move beyond simply collecting success stories to capturing structured feedback, reflections and evidence of change from communities. Such information should be integrated into programme management systems to inform people-centred programming and decision-making.
The discussions further emphasized the importance of learning with communities rather than simply working for them. Community voices, local knowledge and lived experiences should be valued and incorporated into programme design, implementation and learning.
Strengthening Youth Employment Pathways
The convening highlighted the importance of creating clear and sustainable pathways that support young people beyond training. Participants noted that young people require not only technical and vocational skills but also access to mentorship, finance, markets, networks, tools, work experience and business development support.
These discussions are particularly relevant to URDT Institute’s work under the Sustainable Inclusive Youth Employment Pathways (SIYEP) programme, implemented under a consortium led by AFARD with support from the Mastercard Foundation.
Through SIYEP and other skills development initiatives, URDT Institute continues to contribute to efforts aimed at equipping young people, particularly young women, with practical skills, support and opportunities that enable them to transition from training into productive and dignified work.
URDT Institute’s participation in the Uganda Partners Convening 2026 reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening practical, inclusive and market-responsive skills development pathways for young people.
The lessons and experiences shared during the convening will contribute to strengthening programme implementation, documentation, communication, partnerships and continuous learning as stakeholders work together to ensure that young people are better prepared to take advantage of existing and emerging employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
