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Metropolitan Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research

The Role Of Youth Empowerment In Eradicating Unemployment: A Case Study Of The 'Employed Project' In Makindye Division, Kampala

Authors: Ayebare Ashraf1 , Kabanda Richard2

Journal: Metropolitan Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research (MJAMR)

Volume/Issue: Volume 5 - Issue 6

Published: 07 Jul 2026


Abstract

This study examined the role of youth empowerment in eradicating unemployment through a case study of the 'Employed Project' in Makindye Division, Kampala, Uganda. Youth unemployment remains one of Uganda's most pressing socioeconomic challenges, with national youth unemployment rates consistently exceeding 60% for those between 18 and 30 years. The Employed Project represents an integrated youth empowerment initiative combining vocational skills training, entrepreneurship development, mentorship, and job placement support. Using a mixedmethods design, quantitative data were collected from 193 programme participants through structured questionnaires, while qualitative insights were gathered from 15 key informant interviews. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression were used to analyse quantitative data. Findings revealed that all empowerment dimensions (vocational skills training, entrepreneurship development, and mentorship support) significantly predicted unemployment reduction outcomes. The model explained 66.1% of variance in unemployment eradication. Mentorship support emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by entrepreneurship development and vocational skills training. The study concludes that integrated, multi-dimensional youth empowerment programmes are more effective in addressing youth unemployment than single-dimension interventions. It recommends scaling the Employed Project model, strengthening public-private partnerships, and integrating mentorship as a core component of all national youth empowerment initiatives.
Keywords

Youth Empowerment, Unemployment, Makindye Division, Employed Project, Vocational Training, Entrepreneurship, Uganda, Job Creation, Kampala

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