KANYE – The Minister of Youth, Empowerment, Sport and culture Development Thapelo Olopeng has applauded the Barclays Bank Botswana strategies which he said are intended to support youth businesses and to alleviate the country’s unemployment rate.
Olopeng, who was speaking at the launch of the Shared Growth strategy in Kanye said that Barclays Bank Shared Growth strategy have a far reaching impact on youth empowerment and development.
Olopeng encouraged Barclays Bank Botswana to further tailor make its solutions to deliberately support youth businesses and help alleviate the country’s high unemployment rate. He also implore the private sector to continue investing and supporting youth enterprises.
The minister said Barclays Bank’s partnership with Stepping Stone International and Project Concern International has directly benefited the youth and the economically disadvantaged women.
He said Barclays Bank Shared Growth Strategy will improve some of the existing solution and initiatives like the Education and Skills, Barclays Bank initiative called “Ready to Work”, which is a Pan African initiative that seeks to provide young people with the skills that they require when securing employment or starting their own businesses.
”This strategy sits on the tenets of supporting local communities and the economy with a holistic approach to development because youth businesses have the potential to contribute to the significant growth of this economy. It is through collective responsibility and commitment that our economy can reach the potential of being classified as High Income.” said Olopeng
He said Botswana’s generation has done what it could to accelerate the economic growth and the nation is now relying on the youth to drive our economy in the next 50 years.
Olopeng said Government has excellent programmes in place to empower and develop the youth and urged them to utilize the programmes.
