Uganda faces one of the highest youth unemployment challenges in Africa. Recent statistics indicate that 41–51% of youth aged 18–30 are Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEETs). This not only undermines household income and community productivity but also threatens long-term national development.
In response, DiG-Y Hub, an initiative of the Center for Media Literacy and Community Development (CEMCOD), has partnered with MasterPeace Club Uganda to co-implement the Job Launchpad Program, a 45-day WhatsApp-based bootcamp designed to empower young people with the skills, mindsets, and networks they need to thrive in the digital age.
What is Job Launchpad?
The program is a mobile-first, highly interactive training and mentorship model. Using WhatsApp, Uganda’s most widely used digital platform; it brings accessible learning directly to the youth. The goal is ambitious yet achievable: an 80% job placement or entrepreneurship success rate among participants.
DiG-Y Hub’s Role
As part of the partnership, DiG-Y Hub will:
- Deliver digital storytelling, graphics design, and digital marketing training.
- Mentor youth in entrepreneurship, innovation, and employability pathways.
- Guide participants in building digital portfolios and professional branding.
- Support career readiness and job placement through our networks.
Why This Partnership Matters
This initiative is more than just training. It’s about empowering young people to lead, innovate, and create opportunities in the digital economy. It directly addresses Uganda’s skills gap, where education often remains theoretical and disconnected from market demands.
By combining DiG-Y Hub’s expertise in digital skills training with MasterPeace’s experience in community mobilization and youth empowerment, this partnership represents a powerful step toward reducing youth unemployment and preparing young people for the future of work.
Looking Ahead
The first pilot cohort launches in October 2025, following a preparatory webinar on “The State of Youth Unemployment in Uganda” on September 17, 2025. Through this journey, CEMCOD and MasterPeace aim to show that youth are not just beneficiaries of change but the drivers of transformation in the digital economy.
