Ugandan youth urged to ‘Take Control’ at BrighterMonday career event

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In a bold move to address Uganda’s youth unemployment crisis, BrighterMonday Uganda, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, hosted a high-impact stakeholder event under the theme “Take Control: Own Your Career Path.” The half-day career clinic, held on June 7 at Motiv in Kampala, brought together over 60 participants, including young job seekers, private sector leaders, policymakers, and innovators.

At the heart of the event was a message of urgency and empowerment: Uganda’s youth must not wait for opportunity; they must be equipped to shape their future. The event featured an interactive panel discussion, breakout sessions for both job seekers and employers, and demonstrations of BrighterMonday’s new AI-powered career tools designed to help youth navigate the job market more effectively.

Hilda Kabushenga, CEO of African Talent Company, provided a broader continental perspective, explaining that the African Talent Company operates across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and is expanding into Rwanda and South Africa.

Kabushenga highlighted the unique challenges of building a robust job market in Africa, particularly the lack of technological familiarity among many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the “last mile” skill gap among job seekers.

“There’s a gap, like a last mile, 10% gap from what you’ve done in school to where you’re going to get to be productive in a job,” she explained.

To address this, the company focuses on both employer education in tech-based hiring and upskilling young job seekers in areas like soft skills, entrepreneurship, digital literacy, and financial literacy.

The centerpiece panel, titled “Skills for Today: Empowering Uganda’s Youth to Take Control of Their Future,” featured leaders from innovation, human capital, MSMEs, and youth employment sectors. Discussions focused on closing the gap between education and work, the role of technology, and the need for mindset shifts among both youth and employers.

Rita Ngenzi, Executive Director of Innovation Village Hub, emphasised the critical need for adaptability and collaborative teamwork, particularly in light of traditional education’s shortcomings in digital literacy.

“It’s so essential that this point in time and where the world this goal may not have all the answers, but to be willing to say, ‘Hey, I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m going to put my hand up. I’m going to show up and I’m going to ask the questions.”

She encouraged an entrepreneurial mindset and a willingness to learn new skills, regardless of one’s academic background.

Pamela Kabahesi, Country Programme Lead for BrighterMonday, echoed the importance of “showing up” and possessing a strong internal drive. She passionately urged Ugandan youth to cultivate confidence and effectively market themselves.

“Our youth can do so much. We have skilled youth, we have employed youth, we have knowledgeable youth… but the ability to sell ourselves. Guys, sell yourself. Do not sell yourself short.”

She also stressed the significance of emotional intelligence in professional interactions.

Evelyne Lwanga, Strategic HR Projects Lead for the East Africa region by MUA Group, reinforced the message about self-presentation and executive presence.

“If you don’t present yourself in a way that may want to make me speak to you, I’m not going to speak to you.”

She advised starting with basic presentation skills before aspiring to higher-level interactions and highlighted the importance of clear career pathways, sharing her journey from a receptionist to Head of Human Capital for the entire East African region.

In a separate employer masterclass, recruiters explored the future of hiring in a digital-first era, with an emphasis on inclusive, skills-based approaches. Meanwhile, breakout sessions for youth tackled real-world topics like building a strong online presence, preparing for remote work, and future-proofing their careers.

Attendees also interacted with experiential booths showcasing BrighterMonday’s new career resources, including a hands-on AI career assistant that offers personalized job search guidance.

The event forms part of a larger #TakeControl campaign aimed at equipping 10,000+ young Ugandans with the tools, knowledge, and access they need to succeed in a rapidly changing job market.

Xenia Wachira, Country Manager for BrighterMonday Uganda, emphasised the organisation’s decade-long commitment to nurturing and connecting Ugandan talent.

“In Uganda, we need to develop and connect young Ugandan talent to opportunities, and we’ve done that for the last 10 years,” Wachira stated.

She highlighted BrighterMonday’s evolution from a platform primarily connecting job seekers to a comprehensive ecosystem. Initially, their platform and applicant tracking system supported numerous small businesses in their hiring processes, a service recently made free to encourage wider adoption of digital recruitment.

Beyond SMEs, BrighterMonday has also been instrumental in placing executive and senior-level officers for large corporations across Africa, significantly boosting their efficiency and productivity. The company has also successfully supported graduate recruitment programs in Uganda, placing over 200 graduate trainees with five organisations.

Wachira further elaborated on BrighterMonday’s strategic pivot into learning and skilling, driven by market needs.

“We are not only connecting seekers to opportunities; we are also skilling them, we are helping them to be more competitive in this workforce, we are helping them to have an entrepreneurship mindset, so Uganda can create as many opportunities as possible.”

A groundbreaking development introduced was their AI career tool, designed to assist job seekers with CV and cover letter generation, interview preparation, and offer negotiation.

With Uganda’s youth making up over 70% of the population, events like this signal a renewed urgency—and a shared responsibility—to invest in the future of work. And for those in attendance, one message rang loudest: the future belongs to those ready to take control.